


The Light in the Darkness

by kierakaitou



Category: Gundam Wing, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh!, 幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Explicit Language, M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 19:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5754922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kierakaitou/pseuds/kierakaitou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: The only trouble for the young CEO of Kaiba Corp. was his unwanted thoughts for a certain blond mutt. Little does Kaiba know his troubles are just beginning, for on his way home from work something will happen that will change his life forever. Yu Gi Oh Crossover</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Main Fandom: Yu Gi Oh  
> Seto Kaiba POV  
> This fic is written in its entirety so please dont fret about starting it and having it remain unfinished. I will post new chapters regularly.

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 1

~*~

A long drawn out sigh escaped my lips as I leaned back in the desk chair, stretching my cramped arms. 

I glanced at the clock as the distant voices of students started to fill the halls. I sighed once again as I gathered up the many papers scattered on my desk and nonchalantly placed them in my briefcase. As the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, I was constantly buried in mounds of paperwork. No matter what I did or how often I worked on them, they never seemed to end.

The soft click of my briefcase closing was heard as students started to enter the classroom. They walked in casually, talking amongst themselves, not even glancing in my direction. 

I didn’t mind. I wasn’t a social butterfly and I had no desire to befriend people. I was merely in high school as a necessity. It would look bad on my corporation if its CEO didn’t even have his high school diploma. 

Students continued to trickle in as the warning bell sounded. Only two more minutes until class started… He would probably be late as usual. 

I smiled to myself as I pictured him running through the door with Yugi and Honda close on his heels, that stupid smile on his face…

I sighed inwardly. I hated how my mind constantly kept drifting to the blond mutt. There was just something that drew me to him… Something I couldn’t quite place my finger on. 

A day doesn’t go by where we don’t get into some sort of an argument, so it’s not like we get along. Yet somehow, I find myself looking forward to my confrontations with him, seeing that fire in his eyes. The fact that I can draw out such emotion from him intrigued me greatly.

I glanced at the clock again, noticing Anzu doing the same… One more minute. 

As the seconds ticked down I felt my chest tighten. What if he didn’t come to school today? I felt oddly disappointed at the thought.

I sighed once again, pushing the unwanted emotions away. There was absolutely no reason for me to be feeling this way, not to mention the fact that Yugi and Honda weren’t here yet either. It would be unlikely for all three to miss a class. Especially since Yugi hasn’t missed one yet.

I glanced over at Anzu, her brow furrowed with worry. I felt oddly uneasy looking at her concerned face, her eyes unfocused with thought. 

I turned my attention up front as the teacher walked in the room just as the final bell sounded. 

“Good Morning Everyone.” The teacher, whose name I don’t recall, said as he took a seat at his desk. He gingerly pulled out a key from his pocket, sliding it into the slot of his desk drawer. Quietly, he pulled out his attendance sheet and went through the names one by one, glancing up for every name as he went down the list.

My chest felt tight once again as he glanced at Jounouchi’s empty desk before marking the ‘absent’ box on his list. 

I ignored the feeling, directing my attention to the teacher as he stood up and placed the attendance form on his desk. 

Just as he was about to begin the classroom door burst open, revealing a panting Jounouchi followed by Yugi and Honda. The teacher frowned disapprovingly at the trio as Yugi bowed nervously. Jounouchi rubbed the back of his head, the ever present smile on his face, as he apologized for being late. 

The teacher sighed before dismissing them to their seats.

I couldn’t help feeling relieved, but at the same time I felt even more unsettled.

What was it about him?

I watched him as he walked to his seat, his demeanor cheerful as always. He sat down heavily, glancing in my direction as he did so. Our eyes met for a split second before he quickly looked away, seemingly embarrassed to have met my gaze. 

I had always marveled at the color of his eyes. They were the most beautiful honey brown. Their unusual color was immensely brightened from the sun shining through the window next to his desk. 

What am I thinking! I growled inwardly as I looked away. Beautiful and Jounouchi should never go in the same sentence.

Maybe it would have been better if he hadn’t showed up…

The rest of the class seemed to drag on forever.

The teacher was droning on about useless things. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jounouchi beginning to doze off, his blond hair delicately covering his eyes. 

A slight snore was heard from him as his head slowly sunk down onto the desk. The boy behind him… Otogi I think, looked nervously from Jounouchi to the teacher. The teacher, not noticing the blonde’s soft snore, turned to write on the chalkboard. 

Cautiously Otogi reached out and touched Jounouchi’s shoulder, making the sleeping boy jump slightly. 

“Sorry… Didn’t mean to scare you.” Otogi whispered as the blond haired boy regained his composure. 

Jounouchi quietly thanked the black haired boy before turning back to the teacher, gently putting his hand on the shoulder Otogi had touched, his face slightly scrunching in pain. 

I frowned as I silently watched him. I had never seen such a look on the mutt’s face before. 

Just then the bell rang. Immediately students jumped up from their seats and headed for the door. The teacher could barely be heard reminding the students to read chapter eight for homework over the sound of their stampeding feet. 

I waited patiently for them to exit the class room; I was in no hurry to get to my next class. 

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Yugi walked to Jounouchi’s desk, Anzu and Honda right behind him. My frown deepened with the worried looks on all of their faces. I could hear Jounouchi tell them he was fine before getting up and heading out of the class room. 

Silently I watched him go, his friends close behind him. 

Something had happened… What has the mutt gotten himself into?

Quietly I got up and gathered my things. I walked out of the classroom and took a right down the hall, passing Anzu and Yugi on the way.

Anzu was quietly talking to the short spiky haired boy. I focused my attention on what they were saying as I passed.

“Why doesn’t he tell someone?” Anzu asked quietly.

“I don’t know, Anzu. Maybe he is scared?” Yugi replied sadly, hanging his head.

As If was even possible, my frown deepened more. The thought of anyone hurting Jounouchi made anger rise from the pit of my stomach.

I continued down the hall leaving Anzu and Yugi behind me. I couldn’t risk stopping to listen. I didn’t want anyone thinking the great Seto Kaiba was interested in something other than his company, let alone someone like Jounouchi. 

I sighed as I entered my next class, taking a seat by the window.

It was another bright sunny day. It wasn’t quite summer yet, so the temperature was tolerable. While I did prefer winter, spring wasn’t so bad. 

The window faced the back of the school. It was landscaped fairly well with a few pink cherry blossom trees littering the grounds. 

Silently I watched the wind ruffle the pink trees, sending the delicate blossoms floating to the ground. I could hear the other students fill the classroom as the warning bell went off. 

I found my mind once again drifting back to the blond haired boy.

What could have happened to him?

And more importantly why was I so worried about him?

A flash of yellow broke my thoughts. Outside, walking amongst the cherry blossom trees was Jounouchi. 

I had never seen such a somber look on his face… It was like all the light was sucked out of him. 

I watched silently as he continued through the trees, my chest tightening as he left my sight. 

What could have possibly happened to make the happy, cheerful Jounouchi like this?

Without thinking I got up and left the classroom.

I ignored the few eyes who dared to stare at me as I walked out into the hall, the sound of my black boots echoing against the white tiles. 

My heart pounded in my chest as I quickly walked down the stairs and turned down the hall toward the back exit of the school. 

I didn’t stop to think.

I didn’t bother to wonder why I was running after him…

I didn’t want to know. 

I pushed open the exit doors as clean fresh spring air filled my lungs.

Without pausing I walked down the path the blond boy was traveling. 

I didn’t have to go far to find him. He was sitting at the trunk of a large cherry blossom tree that wasn’t to far from the school. His shoulders were slumped as he hung his head down, his blond locks covering his honey eyes. The soft pink petals were gingerly falling down around him, some landing in his hair. The sunlight made him look serene… almost angelic. 

As I looked at him, I found myself unable to approach, not willing to interrupt the beautiful scene before me.

I directed my gaze to the ground, regretting following him. It wasn’t my place.

It’s not like we were friends.

It’s not like I cared about what happened to him…

I shook my head at my last thought. Who was I trying to kid?

I directed my gaze back to the blond haired boy, surprised to find his honey brown eyes looking right back at me. 

My eyes widened in surprise for a split second, before I quickly placed on my mask and walked toward him.

I did care. The question was why?

“Skipping class mutt?” I asked as I approached him. 

He gave me a half hearted glare.

“So what if I am? Are you skipping class Kaiba?”

I smirked at him, my cocky mask firmly in place. 

“Well I saw a stray running in the garden, figured he needed someone to bring him a leash.”

Jounouchi looked away from me, his fists clenching. 

“I don’t need your crap right now Kaiba. Please leave me alone.”

I raised my eyebrow at him inquisitively; it was unlike him to avoid a fight. 

“Does the puppy need a bone?” I laughed, instantly regretting my statement. 

“I told you I don’t want your crap right now Kaiba!” Jounouchi yelled, standing up. I stood my ground, though a bit taken back by his outburst.  
“Just leave me the hell alone! “ 

He was facing me now; his honey brown eyes somehow a darker shade. I had never seen him so angry, and yet, so sad. Tears were forming in his eyes. 

“Are you not listening? Why are you even here? You could care less about a… a mutt like me! Stop coming around me just to pick fights!” 

I was at a loss for words. I had never seen such sadness in his eyes. 

I couldn’t even move as he turned and walked away.

“Jounouchi…” I managed to whisper, long after he had disappeared from my sight. 

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Main Fandom: Yu Gi Oh  
> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~  
The Light in the Darkness  
Chapter 2  
~*~

Jounouchi did not return to school that day.

You could tell that Yugi and the gang were worried. I had never seen the group so solemn. 

Yugi had even asked me if I had seen the blond haired boy, to which of course I said no.

I felt as if there was a hole in my chest. Jounouchi had never walked away from me like that before… 

And somehow, his words hurt.

_“Are you not listening? Why are you even here? You could care less about a… a mutt like me! Stop coming around me just to pick fights!”_

I sighed as I rubbed my forehead. Only ten more minutes of school then it was off to work. At least there I was busy enough to keep my mind away from him.

Impatiently I watched the clock as the seconds ticked by. It was amazing how mere minutes could feel like hours. 

I tried my best to focus on the teachers words, though nothing he said had any interest to me.

We were studying the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’, written by the well known author William Shakespeare.

The teacher stood in front of us, reciting a line spoken by Juliet.

_“My only love sprung from my only hate!_  
_Too early seen unknown, and known too late!_  
_Prodigious birth of love it is to me,_  
_That I must love a loathed enemy.”_  


The words rang in my head.

Love sprung from my only hate...

Love a loathed enemy...

For a split second I envisioned myself as Romeo and Jounouchi as Juliet.

I groaned inwardly at the ridiculous thought before I once again focused my attention to the clock. 

~*~

When the bell finally rang I fought the urge to run out the door with the rest of the class. I longed to be in my quiet office buried with paperwork.

I walked swiftly down the halls, dodging the many students who insisted on traveling at the speed of a turtle. 

It wasn’t long before I was walking outside, heading for my limo. 

I was grateful my company wasn’t too far from the school. I was only a few minutes away from pushing that mutt out of my mind. 

Once the limo arrived at Kaiba Corp., I quickly got out and headed up to the top floor, ignoring the many greetings from my employees.

The elevator door opened slowly with a high pitched ding before I quickly exited the small space. I walked past the receptionist, nodding in acknowledgement, before heading through the large double doors of my office. Once inside I took a deep breath before heading to my desk. I placed my briefcase on the dark cherry wood before taking a seat. I sat down heavily with a sigh, as I leaned back in my large leather chair. Only a few moments passed before my mind began to wonder to unwanted places. I growled to myself before opening my briefcase and taking out the stack of papers I had worked on at school. I separated the completed papers from the rest, noticing my phone blinking out of the corner of my eye. I clicked the play button before placing the finished papers in the ‘done’ pile. 

“Hi Onii-Sama!”

I smiled, it was Mokuba. 

“Just wanted to remind you that I’m staying at my friend’s house this weekend, it is Friday you know!” I chuckled slightly, that’s right… I had totally forgotten it was Friday. 

“Don’t worry; I have my cell phone if I need anything! I will see you Monday night!”

I glared at the machine. Monday? Was he skipping school?

“It’s a three day weekend Onii-Sama! Just in case you forgot!”

I laughed to myself as the machine beeped, indicating the end of the message. My little brother knew me well.

I sighed as I grabbed a fresh stack of papers.

Looks like I was in for a lonely weekend.

~*~

It was late that night when I left my office, a little past 12am. 

The building was empty, everyone had long ago returned to their families. 

I silently headed down the elevator and through the main doors; I could hear a light click as they locked behind me. 

As I walked outside I was greeted with chilly air and a half moon lighting up the midnight sky. 

I didn’t really feel like going home to my empty mansion, it was horribly lonely without Mokuba… Not that I’d ever admit that to anyone. 

My footsteps echoed as I walked through the empty parking lot. I had bid my limo driver good night a few hours ago, opting to walk home instead. While it was a little cold, it was a rather pleasant night. Maybe walking would take my mind off certain things.

After exiting the parking lot I walked across the street and continued on the sidewalk. It was eerily quiet this late at night; the only sound was my feet hitting the hard pavement. 

I took a deep breath of the chilly air as I continued forward. The street lights ahead of me occasionally flickering off and on. 

I turned down a side street, a shortcut I usually took even while driving. I frowned slightly when I noticed a man walking in my direction a block or two ahead of me. It was late at night and very unusual for people to be walking in this part of town. 

I shrugged slightly. I was out here walking, why couldn’t someone else be? 

As the man got closer my frown deepened. 

The fact that he was out walking this late was odd, but the fact that he was wearing a tight black tank top was even odder. 

While it wasn’t extremely cold out, it definitely wasn’t tank top weather. 

I had on a long sleeved black shirt and trench coat and I was almost cold. 

Nonetheless I continued to walk forward, though my gut told me otherwise. I had a bad feeling about the strange man. 

It was rare for another person to make me nervous, but this man was doing it. He was getting closer by the second, the thump of his boots echoing around me. 

I tried to direct my gaze in front of me, not wanting to look nervous at the strange mans approach. 

Suddenly the sound stopped. I looked to where the man had been, finding him nowhere to be seen. 

“Nervous?” 

I jumped at the deep voice, swinging around to find the man behind me. 

I glared at him, my fists clenching.

“Who are you? What do you want?” I asked in my commanding voice. 

The man was almost as tall as me, and just as thin. Though the dim street lights barely lit up the area I could tell he had blond hair, which he wore slicked back. His handsome face was clean shaven and his body was lean. He wore straight legged blue jeans with heavy black boots. His tank top was so tight you could easily see the hard lines of every muscle. 

The man laughed, his voice echoing up and down the alleys around us. 

“Your Seto Kaiba yes?” He asked, ignoring my question. 

I stood up straight and crossed my arms. 

The man chuckled. “It’s true what they say, your glare is frightening! You are certainly not a man any normal person would cross.”

“What do you want?” I asked again, the glare never leaving my face. The man smiled, taking a step toward me. I stood my ground.

The man eyed me up and down, meeting my cold gaze. A look of pure amusement plastered on his face. 

“Unlucky for you, Seto Kaiba, I am not a normal person.” He said cheerfully, taking another step toward me.

“As for whom I am, you will find out soon enough.” The man said. “As for what I want…”

Just then I felt myself being lifted off the ground and into the air.

Before I could even process what was happening I felt myself flying down the alley to my right. 

With a loud thud, I landed against the back wall, hitting my head with the impact. 

What was going on?

I slid down the wall landing on the slimy ground, overcome with dizziness. My head throbbed with pain as I fought to regain my composure.

The man’s laugh echoed down the alley as he walked toward me. I looked up at him, trying my best to glare, my vision fading into black. I gently touched the back of my head, surprised to find it wet with blood.

“Wh…What are you?” I managed to ask as the man stopped in front of me, bending down to look at me face to face. 

He smiled an almost evil smile, fangs appearing as he did so. 

My eyes widened as fear struck my heart. This couldn’t be happening!

“Vampire…” I muttered in disbelief. 

“Indeed.” The man said, taking a deep breath. “Your blood does smell delicious... Especially when it’s tinted with fear.” 

The man laughed once again as I struggled to move. My head swirled with dizziness. I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Poor Seto Kaiba.” The vampire said sarcastically as he grabbed my hair and bent my head back, exposing my neck. I couldn’t help but to cry in pain as the back of my head rubbed against the dirty brick of the alley wall. “If only a swift end was in store for you.” 

I didn’t even have a chance to respond before the blond haired monster pierced my neck. I could feel his fangs penetrating my skin, the blood pouring from the wound. I could feel his disgusting tongue moving against my skin. 

I screamed as the pain shot through my body, unable to even struggle. 

A few agonizing minutes passed before the man pulled away, his face dripping with blood.

_My blood._

“Wonderful!” He said happily, grinning at me.

I could only stare at him, to weak to even speak. 

“Tonight is the beginning of your new hell Seto Kaiba.” He said as he released my hair, turning to sit down next to me. 

I slumped against the wall. My body had lost all its strength. 

I looked at the man through the corner of my eye as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. 

“Why…?” I managed to breathe out. The blond haired monster looked over at me, surprised I could even speak. 

He smiled at me, lighting up his cigarette before inhaling and casually letting out a puff of smoke. “Nothing against you. Just an unfortunate circumstance.”

Before I could respond the wound on my neck erupted in pain. 

It felt like it had burst into flames, I could almost smell the burning flesh. The pain quickly spread down my body, consuming it. I was barely aware of my panicked screaming. 

This was the end. I could only fathom what was happening to me…

What I was becoming.

I grit my teeth, trying to stifle my screams. The pain was unbearable.

“I hope you enjoyed your last day of sunshine.” The vampire seemed to mutter, blowing out another puff of smoke. 

Sunshine… I thought to myself as the image of Jounouchi sitting under the cherry blossom tree filled my mind. Mentally I reveled in his sun soaked skin and golden hair as the gentle pink blossoms surrounded him.  
And then my world went black. 

~*~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 3

~*~

I awoke slowly, keeping my eyes closed, as I inhaled the smoke and mold filled air. 

I felt dread in the pit of my stomach as I realized that I wasn’t home, sleeping in my warm bed.

I felt oddly numb as I gently wiggled my toes and fingers. Something felt strange. I wasn’t cold or hot and my head didn’t hurt anymore. 

I was acutely aware of the burning thirst in my throat.

I clenched my eyes tighter as a range of emotions flew through my body: Fear, confusion, disbelief, sadness. 

My chest ached as realization sunk in. 

Images of what had happened in the alley flew through my mind. Despite how I didn’t want to believe, I knew…

I knew that this was real.

I knew that I was no longer human… That I no longer felt human.

I knew that I was thirstier now than I had ever been before. 

Silently I laid there and listened. I could hear the faint sound of a television from another room and light voices talking. I could also hear the gentle rain falling solemnly outside.

Inwardly I sighed as I slowly opened my eyes, revealing a moldy ceiling. The light in the room was off but somehow I could see perfectly.

I slowly sat up, remembering the blow to my head. I did not feel any pain. I reached behind and touched where the wound had been… Nothing. Completely healed. 

I looked at my bloodless hand, unsure of what to do. To my right was a small night stand with a digital clock, it was a little after 5am. To my left was a plain wood chair with my trench coat draped over it. Other than the chair, nightstand, and bed, the room was empty. The ceiling had water damage in multiple spots; the farthest right corner from me was dripping. There was an empty closet with a broken door on the left wall. 

I debated getting out of bed, but my thoughts were interrupted when the blond haired man appeared in the doorway. 

“Good morning sunshine!” He said happily as he leaned against the door frame, holding a large plastic cup in his hand. 

My lungs were filled with the metallic smell of blood as my throat burned with thirst. 

I glared daggers at him, eyeing the large cup. 

“Haven’t forgiven me I take it?”

“What have you done to me?!” I asked, already knowing the answer. 

The man smiled at me, he knew I knew.

He swirled the liquid in the cup, sending the aroma through the room. I felt as if my throat was on fire. 

“Seto Kaiba you are no longer alive… No longer human.” He said, pushing himself off the door way.

“Your life as it was no longer exists.”

I stared blankly at the man.

I hated him. 

“Why…” I asked, not meeting his gaze. 

He smiled at me before walking across the room and placing the cup on the nightstand. I looked at the cup with disgust on my face. I could see the red liquid swirling within. I had never wanted something so much, yet hated myself for wanting it.

“I can’t really answer your question Kaiba…” The blond man said with a sigh.

“Look, why or why not doest matter. It’s not going to change anything. Maybe I was just in the mood to make a companion. Maybe I just wanted to see the great Seto Kaiba fall. Maybe I wanted a lover.”

I turned to look at him, my face full of disdain. None of those reasons were good enough to want to ruin someone’s life. 

He continued to look at me, amused by my reaction. 

“No matter what I say it’s not going to change anything.” He repeated. “No matter the reason, you can’t do anything about it now.”

I looked down at my lap. He was right, though I hated to admit it.

“You must be thirsty…” He said, interrupting my brooding. “Your throat probably feels like it’s on fire.”

I looked at him, his green eyes knowing. 

My throat did burn, I longed for the red fluid in that cup. 

But…

If I drank it I would be accepting the truth… I would become a monster. 

If I didn’t I would die… For real this time.

The man sighed once again, noticing my inner dilemma. He grabbed the cup off the nightstand and held it out to me. 

“Look, I know you have a little brother. I know he doesn’t have anyone else to take care of him but you. If you die now what is he going to do?”

I looked from the cup to him, meeting his gaze. 

“You’re not the same Seto Kaiba you once were… At least not in body. You are still you on the inside and I know your brother will still accept you, once he sees you’re not just some blood sucking monster.” 

I glared up at the man, my teeth clenched in anger. “Not just some blood socking monster?! Isn’t that exactly what I am now?! Exactly what you turned me into?!” I yelled, my body shaking with fury. 

I couldn’t believe this guy… this monster, who so willingly ruined my life. How could he expect me to just so casually accept this after he forced it upon me?! How could I not be a monster when I thirst for human blood?!

“Despite popular belief” The man said, easily meeting my deadly gaze. “We aren’t ravage beasts that kill for the fun of it. We have feelings, we make choices. If we were just monsters you wouldn’t have thought twice about drinking that blood, you wouldn’t care that your brother would have no one but you.” 

“How can you even say that?!” I growled. “You seem to have no problem taking peoples lives.”

The blond man met my deathly gaze without hesitation or fear. His green eyes burned into me, a frown plastered on his face.

“What’s done is done Kaiba.” He said sternly. “You have a choice now. You can live or you can die. Despite what I have done to you, the life I have forced upon you, you will need my help to live.”

The man set the cup down on the nightstand forcefully, a few drops splashing out upon impact with the hard wood. My throat burned even more as I watched a drop flow down the side of the cup. 

“Live or Die Kaiba.” The man firmly said as he turned and walked out of the room without another word.

I listened to the heavy footsteps as he walked down a set of creaky stairs. Silence once again filled the small room as I looked at the cup of red liquid.

Live or die. Did I really want to live as this monster? No. 

The rain echoed through my ears as images of Mokuba flew through my head. My heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again. As much as I did not want to admit it, the blond haired man was right. What would Mokuba do without me? He was not ready for me to die.

I would live for him.

I would do it for Mokuba.

I cautiously picked up the cup, a look of resolve on my face. I took a deep breath before bringing it to my lips. 

The metallic taste filled my mouth, soothing my burning throat. I couldn’t stop myself as I feverously consumed the liquid. It was like I hadn’t drunk anything in weeks. 

After the last drop was gone I placed the cup back on the night stand. A breath of relief escaped my lips as the burning in my throat severely decreased. Even though it was still there, at least now it was tolerable. 

“Good Choice.” 

Startled, I looked toward the sound, surprised to find the blond man once again leaning against the doorway. 

I glared daggers at him, not bothering to ask how he had gotten there so silently. 

“Since you have decided to live we have got a lot of work to do. It is my understanding that your brother won’t be home until Monday night, so we have about three nights to teach you as much as we can before you need to be back at your mansion.”

I just nodded at the blond man before I pushed myself off the bed and placed my feet on the dirty brown carpet. 

“My name is Eric.” The man said as he extended his hand. 

I glared at the extended appendage before looking back at his face, my expression clearly stating that I wanted nothing to do with a hand shake. 

Eric chuckled before retracting his hand.

“Well _Eric_ ,” I said distastefully. “What next?”

The blond man smiled before turning to once again head down the stairs. “There are a couple companions of mine downstairs that you need to meet. They will be helping me teach you the ropes.”   
I nodded slightly before solemnly following the blond haired man out of the room.

We walked down a long hallway before going down a flight of stairs. The whole house was old and decaying. The steps had holes and cracks, the walls were stained and suffered water damage, old wallpaper was falling off.   
After passing a kitchen and what looked to be a bathroom we entered a large open living room. The room had dark black shades over every window, to keep the light out I would guess. There were two large red couches in the middle of the room and an old oak coffee table. A small television was sitting on a dusty T.V. stand and there were a few miscellaneous pictures scattered around the room.   
I directed my gaze to the two men sitting together on one of the larger of the couches. 

One had a quirky smile on his face, seemingly happy to see me. He had his long light brown hair in a braid that was currently draped over his shoulder. He had stunning violet eyes and was wearing all black except a silver cross necklace.

The other man did not look so cheerful. He sat next to the braided haired boy, his azure eyes burning into mine. He had short messy dark brown hair and a handsome face. He wore a plain white t-shirt and worn out faded blue jeans. 

“Guys meet Seto Kaiba, our newest member!” Eric said motioning to me.

“Kaiba, the long haired one is Duo and the other is Heero. Please try to get along; they will be helping me teach you the ropes.”

I nodded at them as Duo jumped off the couch and bounded over to me. 

“Nice to meet you Seto!” He said cheerfully, offering his hand. I glared at it silently, hating the fact that he just called me Seto. No one besides my brother called me Seto. 

“He’s not big on the whole hand shake thing.” Eric said nonchalantly, before taking a seat on the smaller couch. 

Duo looked at me thoughtfully before withdrawing his hand. 

“Well I guess it’s understandable, it’s not like he became one of us by choice.” The violet eyed boy said in observance. 

“Well Seto, we are family now like it or not!” He said happily, taking my hand and shaking it himself.

I looked at him incredulously. No one ever just touched me like that. 

I glared at the violet eyed boy. He met my gaze, completely unfazed. “Glaring at me isn’t going to do you any good, Heero glares at me all day!” He said happily.

I was at a loss for words.

“Call me Kaiba…” I said for lack of anything better to say. 

“Sure thing Seto!” The braided boy said with a bright smile before releasing my arm. He walked back to the couch and sat down next to Heero, intertwining his fingers with the messy haired boys. 

I watched silently as Heero’s hard features softened for just a moment at the violet eyed boys touch. I felt a pang of heartache in my chest. 

“Come sit with us, our favorite show is on! The night is almost over; we can start your lessons tomorrow!” 

I stared at the braided boy, their intertwined hands. I couldn’t deal with this right now. The last thing I wanted to do was sit down and watch television with a bunch of vampires. 

“If you don’t mind, it’s been a hard day and I would like to retire for the night… Or morning I guess.” I said, turning to head back up the stairs. 

They did not try to stop me as I headed back up to my mold infested room. I thought about leaving, but decided it wouldn’t do any good. I couldn’t change what happened to me. 

My only choice was to live with it…

For Mokuba’s sake. 

I sighed, continuing up to my room. 

I could feel my throat burning as I got on the old squeaky bed. I silently listened to the sound of the TV downstairs and the occasional laugh from Duo. 

It wasn’t long before my tired body drifted off into a restless sleep. 

~*~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 4

~*~

I awoke to the smell of blood. My throat once again set aflame. 

I looked at the nightstand finding a large cup. Eric must have left it there for when I woke up.

I sighed as I sat up, glancing at the clock. 7pm. I guess this would be a good time to get up, since I’m sure the sun was either setting or already set. 

The burning in my throat intensified as I took a deep breath. I could barely smell the mold and smoke over the liquid in the cup.

I gently took it off the nightstand, still slightly disgusted at the concept. 

I had no clue whose blood this is, or how they got it… 

But I guess it didn’t really matter. 

I once again placed the cup to my lips and swallowed every drop. 

Once again I felt relieved that the burning was lessened. 

I vaguely wondered if it would ever go away.

I lazily got out of bed and walked down the stairs. I felt so dirty, I needed to shower and brush my teeth.

I paused mid step.

Do vampires take showers or brush their teeth? I shrugged my shoulders, continuing to the living room.

There was a lot I didn’t know, so many myths. I guess I would find out within the next two days what was true and what was false. 

I entered the living room to find Duo sitting and watching TV. He looked up at me as I entered, a bright smile on his face. 

“Mornin’ Seto! “ He said happily, motioning for me to sit next to him. 

I nodded in greeting before taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch, unsure of what to say. 

“You feeling any better today?” He asked, his violet eyes studying me. 

I shrugged, looking over at him. “Its something I will have to get used to.”

He smiled brightly at me. 

“It’s not that horrible really, at least not for me.”

The braided boy looked at his lap. 

“But I wasn’t changed against my will…”

I looked at him incredulously. Why would anyone actually want this?

“It’s a long story” He said, as if reading my mind. I waited a few seconds for him to continue. I could tell he was debating on whether to tell me or not.

“Go on,” I said, sarcastically. “I’d like to know what type of insanity would drive someone to willingly accept this life.” 

The violet eyed vampire blinked at me, amazed at the sarcasm in my voice. After a few moments he smiled. “I’m glad to see you have some form of a sense of humor!”

I shrugged, waiting for him to continue his story. 

“Well…” He started, “I had to work late one night, which wasn’t unusual. It was already well past dark by the time I left the building.”

“On my way home I always pass a small park. I had happened to notice someone sitting on a swing with their head down when I was driving by.”

Duo paused, thinking about what to say. 

“For some reason I felt I had to see if he or she was okay. I stopped the car and cautiously walked over to the person, I could tell it was a boy as I got closer. He didn’t even move when I approached, or when I spoke. I thought he was sleeping at first … But that wasn’t the case. He was unconscious, holding his side with his right hand, his clothes soaked with blood. He had been shot.”

I watched the emotions play on Duo’s face; I could tell he hated remembering the scene.

“All I knew was I had to get him help. I pulled him off the swing, his skin was frozen. I laid him on the grass and checked for a pulse. When he had none I started to panic, I tried to give him CPR, pumping his chest.”

Duo laughed slightly, I wasn’t sure what was funny.

“When I went to try mouth to mouth he woke up. I felt myself fly in the air as he shoved me off him; I landed a few feet away. I remember being so happy that he was alive…”

Duo met my gaze, his eyes shining. 

“He just stood there staring at me as I got up off the ground. I couldn’t even take a stop toward him before he collapsed, unconscious again. Right then I knew he wasn’t human. I don’t know how I knew, I just did. He needed help and I knew taking him to a hospital wouldn’t be a good idea, so I picked him up, put him in my car, and took him home.”

My eyes widened as I listened. What kind of crazy person would take someone, who he knew wasn’t human, into their home.

“I remember dragging him through the door, getting blood everywhere. I somehow managed to take out the bullet and wrap up his side. I had put him on my couch and covered him with a few blankets.”

“I was on auto pilot. I was nervous that this man in my home wasn’t human, but I couldn’t deny my heart. I was hoping more than anything that he would be okay.”

The braided boy chuckled. “I couldn’t get the blood out of the carpet! I ended up putting rugs there to cover it up!”

“Anyway!” He continued. “He was out for two days, didn’t move an inch the whole time. I was beginning to give up on him. I remember I was in the kitchen microwaving a TV dinner when I heard a crash. I had looked at the couch first, finding the boy missing before quickly scanning the room. The boy was gone; he had jumped through my window and out into the night.”

“I felt somehow sad that I never even got to talk to him, but I figured it was for the better.”

Just then Heero walked into the room, his hair even more messy than yesterday. “Mornin’ love!” Duo said happily, scooting over so the azure eyed boy could sit down next to him.

“I was just telling Seto how I became a vampire!” A blush appeared on Heero’s face for a split second before he directed his attention to the TV. 

Duo smiled lovingly at the dark haired boy before looking back at me.

“A few weeks passed before I saw him again. He was sitting on my doorstep when I came home late from work one night. I remember asking him how he was feeling, before inviting him inside.”

Duo turned and smiled at Heero.

“He had simply stated that he wasn’t human… And I had said, I know. He asked why I had helped him and all I could tell him was because my heart had told me to.”

“It was then that I had found out what he was. He tried to strike fear into me so I would tell him to not come around anymore. He was dangerous to be around; he didn’t want me to suffer the same fate as him. Needless to say I fell in love. I knew I could never be with him as a human, since vampires are immortal and all…That and the little fact that he wanted to eat me for dinner.”

Duo laughed as Heero looked away, seemingly embarrassed by the story.

“This was the only way we could be together forever. It was my choice. Regardless of the burden, Heero is worth it.”

I looked at the two of them. It was hard to believe that such a strong bond could exist. A love that could make someone give up their human life. 

Just then Eric walked in the room.

“Glad to see everyone’s awake! Heero, you’re up early!”

The messy haired boy snorted and him, his attention returned to the TV. 

The blond haired vampire seemed unfazed by Heero’s attitude. He casually walked across the living room and sat down on the un-occupied couch. 

“Well since we are all here, I’m sure Kaiba has some questions?” Eric said, directing his gaze to me. 

I felt oddly embarrassed to be the odd man out, to know so little about something. Nonetheless I needed answers. I needed to know what I was.

“Give me the basics.” I said, unable to pick just one question from the many I had. 

Eric smiled, leaning back on the couch.

“First off we are immortal. The only way we can die is by unnatural causes, such as suicide or murder.” 

I nodded. Duo had mentioned vampires were immortal in his story. 

“Obviously we need blood to survive, however, we can not die from starvation. Prolonged hunger will lessen the human part of our mind and the more…” Eric hesitated as if searching for the correct word. “…Animal side, if you will, appears. A vampire who does not drink is eventually converted to a bloodthirsty monster that can not tell friend from foe.”

“While the transformation can be reversed with sufficient feeding, most see the carnage they caused and end up committing suicide when they are unable to handle the grief.”

I could feel my ever present frown deepen as Eric chuckled slightly at my reaction. “Let’s see…” he continued. “ What else… Oh yes! Contrary to popular belief we aren’t harmed by garlic, wooden stakes, or silver… And no, we do not turn into bats.”

“The sunlight, however, will kill us. It’s not a pretty sight. Needless to say you will never see the light of day again… Unless you want to kill yourself that is.”

I looked at the blond man, remembering his words from the other night. 

_‘I hope you enjoyed your last day of sunshine.’_

“We don’t have to feed every night. You feel the need to drink every day since you are a newborn, but generally one can go a week without feeding.”

“Also, we can live off of animals, but the nutrients from them are far less than the blood of a human. You may have to feed more often if you go that route.”

The last thing I wanted to do was run around murdering people. Though I may have to feed more, animals seemed like a better option.

Eric looked at me, smiling slightly. “I can tell you are intrigued by the animal idea. Believe it or not there are many vampires who don’t feed on humans.”

Eric thought a moment before continuing. “You haven’t had the chance to discover your newfound speed or strength yet, but vampires are by far stronger than humans. We can see perfectly in the dark, as I’m sure you have noticed. We merely keep the lights on due to habit. We can run at unimaginable speeds, our strength is doubled. Our sense of smell is greater than that of a dog.”

That made sense. It explained how Eric was able to just appear behind me and not only lift me up in the air, but throw me all the way down the alley.

Not to mention the abnormally strong mold and cigarette smell in the house.

Eric smiled at me. “I bet you’ve been wondering we you don’t have fangs.”

I looked at him, I hadn’t even thought about it actually. I touched my teeth with my thumb. He was right, no fangs. 

“Didn’t even notice eh?” The blond haired man asked amusedly. 

“But when you attacked me, I saw fangs.” I stated in a matter of fact voice.

“Your right.” He said, “It’s mostly instinct at first, but with a little practice we can control when we show our fangs. We’d never be able to blend in with the humans if they were showing all the time.”  
I nodded, it made sense.

“So,” I started, thinking how to word my question. “If we bite someone, do they always change into one of us? Do we need to kill them to prevent that?”

Heero snorted slightly at my question before Duo elbowed him in the ribs. I glared at the messy haired boy, he returned the favor. 

“You didn’t know any of this when you were born Heero!” Duo said with an unhappy expression on his delicate face.

Heero shrugged slightly, ending the conversation. Duo sighed, apologizing for his lover. 

“No,” Eric said. “Much like a snake we have venom and we can control when to use it. It’s not something we can teach you, it’s something you’ll have to learn on your own. Don’t worry though; the venom won’t come out unless you make it. Until you learn to control it you won’t change anyone into one of us.” 

“So I could feed on someone and not kill them?” I asked.

Eric nodded. “Yes, though it will be extremely difficult for a newborn to stop, it can be done. There are actually humans out there who let vampires feed on them for a small price.” 

“What about things like STDs?”

“We are dead.” Eric said simply. “We can not contract any form of illnesses, nor can we spread them.”

That was good to know I guess. There was a whole lot to take in. 

“I think that about covers the basics.” Eric said. “Any other questions before we take you out and about?”

I thought for a moment, remembering the gash on the back of my head that had disappeared. 

“I had a gash on the back of my head last night and it was completely gone when I woke up… How did…”

Eric cut me off before I could continue, a smirk plastered on his face. 

“Vampires have very powerful healing abilities, allowing wounds or gashes to heal far quicker than a human ever could. We also have the ability to regenerate so even if you get your arm cut off, with enough time a new one will grow in its place.”

I stared at the blond haired vampire, my eyes widened in surprise. 

“In fact” Eric said as an afterthought. “The only way someone can actually kill a vampire is by burning them or by cutting off their head. Only then can they not regenerate or heal.”  
I shook my head in disbelief, my mind still having trouble grasping what I have become.

“Any other questions?” Eric asked as I looked at the three vampires before me. They looked like normal people, besides being a bit pale. Eric, while very muscled, looked to be about 24 years old while Heero and Duo looked to be about 19. 

It was almost inconceivable that these immortal monsters are walking among us, almost indistinguishable from a typical human.

“How old are you guys?” I asked quizzically. 

“Good question!” Eric said placing his index finger on his chin. “It’s pretty pointless to keep count after a while.”  
“…I believe I am around 285 years old.”

I looked at him, my eyes wide. Even though I knew it to be true, it was still hard to believe. 

“I’m only 85 and Heero is 173.” Duo said, “Good thing age difference doesn’t really matter in the vampire world!” 

I just nodded. This was all too much, even for the great Seto Kaiba. 

I sighed resting my head on my palms. 

“Well enough chit chat.” Eric said abruptly, standing up. 

“Let’s get Kaiba out into his newfound world!”

~*~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 5

~*~

Eric looked at me expectantly, his hand on the door knob. 

“Not ready Kaiba?” He asked as I didn’t move from the couch.

I looked at the blond man.

“Actually I have one more question…” I said. I felt embarrassed to even ask, it was another new feeling to add to the list. 

Eric raised his eyebrow slightly, waiting for me to speak.

“Do Vampires take showers?”

All three vampires stared at me incredulously. Only moments passed before Duo and Eric burst into laughter, Heero shaking his head slightly. 

I glared at them; if looks could kill they would be dead… Well, really dead. 

“Yes, we take showers!” Duo managed to mumble between laughter. 

“I suppose you would probably want to change your clothes and shower.” Eric said, opening the front door. 

“Why don’t we head to your humble home and take care of that first?”

I nodded, getting up off the couch, Duo mirroring my movements.

“I am going to freshen up, I will follow shortly.” Heero said. I was surprised at how smooth his voice was. It was the first time I had heard him speak. 

We walked out into the cool night air. I was surprised that I did not feel the least bit chilly. In fact it didn’t feel any different than being inside. 

“Ready Kaiba?” Eric asked. “Ready to see your newfound speed?”

I didn’t even have a chance to reply before the blond man was gone, Duo hot on his heels. I took off as well, I could see them a ways ahead of me. 

It was amazing. Without even trying buildings were flying by me. I easily caught up to the two elder vampires, a small smile on my face. 

We silently ran down a side street, merely a blur to the human eye. My whole body seemed lighter, my feet barely making a sound as they hit the ground. 

Just then Eric jumped to his right, onto the roof of a small house, Duo followed suit. 

I ran on the street as they ran on the rooftops, the jump looked impossible. 

Of course it would have been impossible before.

I picked up my pace, feeling the newly formed muscles in my legs. If they could do it so could I. I bent my knees and pushed off the ground with all the strength I could muster. I felt myself flying through the air, well above the roof I had aimed for. 

I reached the peak of my jump at least twenty feet above the building before immediately plummeting toward the earth. Try as I might, I was unable to slow my fall. I watched hopelessly as the roof of the house approached, bracing myself for a rough landing. Moments before I made impact, Duo and Eric appeared under me, easily catching me in their arms. 

“Easy there!” Eric said amusement clear in his voice.

I released myself from their grip, placing my feet on the dark colored shackles. 

“How do you control how high you jump?” I asked. Eric shrugged. “Practice.” He said simply.

I sighed, continuing forward. I could tell this whole thing was going to be a trial and error experience. 

We continued toward my house, jumping from roof to roof. I began to get the hang of it after the first few rough landings. I’m sure the people sleeping didn’t appreciate the loud thumps overhead, but we were long gone before they could even get out of bed to investigate. 

We arrived at the Kaiba mansion; lights were on and shining out into the darkness. I knew no one was home. The staff was instructed to leave a few lights on even after they left. 

The mansion had a long winding driveway which we were currently running up. I was slightly surprised that no one seemed in awe of my enormous home, considering the dump they lived in.

We walked through the massive front doors and into the house. “What do you do with all this space?” Duo asked inquisitively, looking up at the overly high ceiling. 

I shrugged. I had supposed that it was something people with a lot of money should have. I never really thought about how silly it seemed for only two people to be living in such a large space.

“A status symbol I guess.” I said as I walked to the right, hanging my trench coat up on the rack. 

I continued through the room to a large staircase, Duo and Eric right behind me. 

We walked up a few flights of stairs, reaching the third floor. 

“I figured a place like this would have an elevator!” Duo complained as we walked down a long hallway toward the master bedroom.

“Id does.” I said simply. “I just never use it.”

Duo chuckled slightly, shaking his head. I didn’t ask what he found so amusing. 

“Somehow not using the elevator suits you Seto!” He said as we reached the double doors of my room. 

I raised my eyebrow slightly at the violet eyed boy before dismissing the subject. 

We walked into the master bedroom, which was about the size of the house they lived in. It was decorated in shades of blue, the bed a dark cerulean. 

“Not bad!” Duo said, jumping on the bed. My eye twitched in slight irritation as he messed up the perfectly made covers. I sighed. Saying anything would most likely be fruitless. 

I walked to the closet and pulled out a fresh black turtleneck and a pair of black pants before heading to the bathroom.

“Please don’t break anything…” I said as I opened the door, looking back at them.

Duo smiled mischievously as Eric looked bored. “Just be quick.” The blond vampire said before I shut the bathroom door behind me.

Once inside I took off my boots and shirt before looking in the mirror.

I was vaguely surprised I still had a reflection. 

Silently I observed my pale skin. I wasn’t much paler than I usually was, just a slight difference. My eyes were still blue, my hair still brown. Nothing about my appearance had changed much. Tentatively I opened my mouth and observed my regular human teeth. Nothing had changed there either… It would be almost impossible to tell I was no longer human. If only that was the truth. I cautiously poked at my teeth with my index finger before sighing and returning my attention to the task at hand.

I finished taking off my clothes and turned on the water to the shower. I ran my hands through the running liquid. It was neither hot nor cold, but I could still feel it gently caressing my skin. 

This would take some getting used to. 

I hoped in and quickly went through the motions.

Ten minutes later I stepped out and brushed my teeth before putting on my fresh clothes and exiting the bathroom. 

I was surprised to find Duo sitting on my bed, a few large white boxes scattered about. “What the hell are you doing?” I asked as I walked over to him, taking the box he was sifting through away. 

“This stuff is important!” I said as I gathered up the many papers and placed them back into their designated boxes. 

“I was hoping I found your secret porno stash!” Duo whined, crossing his arms. “Instead it’s just a bunch of reports and crap.”

I sighed, placing the last box back under the bed. “Those are important reports for my company,” I said. “You had no right to go through my stuff anyway!”

“All you said was not to break anything.” The violet eyed boy said in a matter of fact voice. 

I sighed, looking over at Eric who was currently sitting in a large blue chair. He shrugged his shoulders at me. 

Just then Heero appeared in the doorway. Duo jumped off the bed and bounded into his arms.

“I let myself in.” The messy haired boy stated, observing the look I was giving him. 

“Alright.” Eric said, standing up. “Kaiba, tonight we are going to show you the basics of hunting and feeding. We can either go for a human or an animal, your call.”

“Animal.” I stated without hesitation. I knew I wasn’t ready to suck the blood of a human… I wasn’t even ready to suck the blood of an animal. 

I had no choice; it was one or the other.

Eric nodded at me before turning to my window. 

“That’s way too high of a drop.” I said as he opened it up. 

Heero snorted as he promptly jumped out of the open window, followed closely by Duo.

I looked at Eric quizzically. “If we can survive a fall from that kind of height, why did you and Duo catch me earlier?”

“If we wouldn’t have caught you, you would have gone straight through their roof and into their home. That wouldn’t go over so well.” Eric stated, smirking at me. 

I just nodded before taking a deep breath and following my fellow vampires.

I felt my stomach flip, similar to being on a roller coaster, as I glided through the air. 

After landing on the solid ground with a thump, we headed out of the city and into the surrounding forest. 

Once we were deep into the woods we stopped, Eric directing his attention to me.

“There are plenty of deer in this forest; I smell quite a few near here. They are very sensitive creatures so you need to try to be as quiet and quick as possible. Tomorrow you will be working with Heero on stealth, but for today you are going to have to do your best.”

I nodded, putting the fact that I would have to work with Heero tomorrow in the back of my mind. He really wasn’t a pleasant person. I laughed inwardly. I wonder if that’s what people think of me? 

“The easiest way is to catch them by surprise. You can catch them in a chase, but all the noise you’ll make will scare off any other animals in the area. So on the off chance you don’t catch it, you’ll have to start your search for another all over again… Also, most vampires really don’t like to work for their food.” Eric smirked at his after thought. 

“When you find a deer, try your best to creep up on it. If you can get a hold of it, the best way to kill it is to quickly break its neck.”

I nodded at the blond haired vampire, my stomach turning. 

This was not something I ever saw myself doing in my life, nor was it something I wanted to do.

The forest was pitch black. I could hear the sounds of the many insects inhabiting it. Though it was dark I could see perfectly. I took a few long strides forward, away from the group, as I silently observed my surroundings. 

The area was silent except for insects and the occasional leaves falling to the mossy ground. An owl sat perched on a branch in the distance, his beady eyes searching for prey. A few yards away a small rabbit cowered, its little heart rapidly beating as its ears twitched, straining to listen. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could smell the moss on the trees, wet from the rain. I could smell the blood of the rabbit as its little heart pulsed. It was amazing how different the world seemed.

I heard a branch crack to the right of me. I looked in the direction of the sound, seeing the lithe shape of a small deer a ways away from me. 

I walked slowly through the woods, watching my every step. I avoided the many small branches and pinecones, trying to keep my feet on the soft grass or rocks. 

I inched closer to the deer. I could hear its heart pulsing blood through its body. I could smell its thick fur and the wet grass it was chewing on. 

It was completely unaware of my presence as I slowly approached it. The poor little thing did not see its fate coming…it did not know that today was its last day of sunshine. 

Silently I scolded myself. I had to look at this deer as food, nothing but the fuel for me to live. I took one more cautious step, now only a few feet away from it. Without a second thought I jumped, grabbing onto the un-expecting animal. 

We landed on the ground with a soft thump, the animal struggling with all its might. It let out a small wail before I grabbed its head and twisted as hard as I could. The sickening crack echoed throughout the silent forest.   
I sat solemnly on top of the now still deer. Its heart was no longer beating. 

My three companions appeared at my side. Duo placed his hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off before standing up. I looked down at the deer one more time before looking at Eric.

“What next?” I asked casually. 

Eric smiled at me, motioning to the deer.

“Now you eat.”

“But how?” I asked, “I still don’t have any fangs.”

“You’ll see.” Eric said. “I told you it was instinct at first.”

I looked at the small deer, kneeling down.

“Get close to its neck and breathe in its blood.”

I did as he told, bending over so I was right next to the animals neck. I took a deep breath, the metallic sent of its blood filling my nose, my throat erupting in flames. 

I could see the once pulsing artery through the brown fur, the red liquid waiting underneath. 

Without thinking I thrust my head forward. I could feel my fangs grow as I moved. 

I punctured the deer’s neck and its warm blood began flowing into my mouth.

I ate greedily, getting my fill. I could feel the red fluid dripping down my chin and onto the soft ground. 

When I was through I pulled away, blood dripping onto my clean clothes. 

I couldn’t believe how much better it had tasted than the blood I had before. Maybe it was because it was fresh. 

“Alright Seto-piggy.” Duo said jokingly. “You done?”

I nodded at the violet eyed boy, wiping my chin with my sleeve. As quickly as they had come, I felt my fangs disappear, enabling me to close my mouth fully. 

Duo and Heero then took their turn with the deer, their fangs appearing with a sharp _‘sshk’_. 

Their slurping sounds made my stomach turn. That had been me mere moments before.

The fact that I had just killed this animal and drank its blood was a sickening reality.

Eric walked up to me, his face pleased. 

“They will be here a while, lets go get you cleaned up.”

I nodded as I followed Eric out of the forest.

The night was still young, but I was tired. 

If only I could wake up from this nightmare. 

~*~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 6

~*~

The next morning I awoke to the sound of Duo’s laughter.

I groggily sat up and looked at the clock. 8:32pm.

Sighing, I stretched my arms, noticing there was no cup of blood sitting on the nightstand. 

I stared at the empty spot next to my clock, gently rubbing my neck. My throat burned a bit but it was tolerable… I’m sure they wanted me to practice hunting again tonight. 

I got out of bed and grabbed the clean pile of clothes I had brought back with me last night. I walked down the creaking stairs and into the bathroom near the kitchen.

Duo was still cracking up; apparently something funny was on the TV. I shook my head in amusement before entering the small room. 

I closed the bathroom door and turned on the water. I wrinkled my nose as it came out brown, the smell was very unpleasant. 

After a few moments of sputtering it finally started to run clear. I jumped in and quickly cleaned my body and washed my hair. When I was done I brushed my teeth, letting the sink water run a bit longer than I had the shower. 

I felt a deep longing for the clear running water at my mansion. I would be happy when I was able to go home. 

I walked out of the bathroom and into the living room. Duo was still watching TV. 

“How can you guys live here?” I asked slightly exasperated as I sat down on the other couch.

Duo looked at me a small smile on his face. “We don’t live here really.” He said, his eyes drifting back to his show. I raised my eyebrow at him. “You don’t?”

“Nope! We are just here to help get you started. We live about a two hour travel from here.” 

I looked at them suspiciously. “Why would you come all they way out here just to help me?”

Duo looked at me as if he was considering on whether or not to say something. 

After a few moments he sighed, his eyes turning deadly. 

“Look, I know Heero wouldn’t want me telling you any of this, so keep your mouth shut.”

I looked at the braided vampire, nodding my head.

“Eric created Heero.” Duo said in a quiet voice, I could hardly hear him. “Naturally they have a strong bond. Before Eric left he asked Heero to come help out, and Heero agreed of course. At first we had no clue why he had come here, and we were both surprised when he brought you home. We still don’t know why he did it…”

Duo’s expression turned serious, his violet eyes piercing mine.

“Look Seto…Something like this isn’t really normal. Vampires don’t just go to random towns to make another of their kind…I don’t think you becoming a vampire was a mere whim on Eric’s part.”

I narrowed my eyes at the thought. I had always assumed Eric had a reason for what he did.

“Heero follows Eric blindly.” Duo said with a sigh. “Eric isn’t a bad person, but I don’t think he hangs out with the best kind of company, if you know what I mean.”

I leaned back on the couch with my arms crossed.

Could Eric have been sent to change me? I do have a lot of enemies out there… 

“You must have made someone really mad if that’s why Eric came here.” Duo said nonchalantly, also crossing his arms.

“I make people mad every day. My corporation isn’t very friendly to its competition.” I said just as Heero walked in the room.

“Morning’ Sunshine!” Duo called as Heero eyed us suspiciously. 

“Having a pleasant chat?” He asked, sitting down next to his violet eyed lover.

“We are!” Duo said. “We were discussing the deer last night.” Heero nodded, giving me an almost sympathetic look. I shrugged.

“It’s just something I will have to get used to.”

We sat in silence watching TV, the only sound was Duo’s occasional chuckle. It wasn’t log before Eric appeared to explain today’s schedule. 

I was to spend a few hours with both Heero and Duo, for each had their own talents and abilities. 

Heero was a master at stealth, very few vampires could compare to him. I hoped to learn a few things from the quiet man, since moving at the speed of a snail to sneak up on dinner wasn’t the most efficient thing. Hand to hand combat was also a specialty of the messy haired boy. We spent quite a few hours covering the basics on speed, agility, and how to predict your opponent’s next move. 

Duo on the other hand was an expert at many miscellaneous things such as picking locks, effortlessly breaking into houses and tracking. I didn’t know when I’d have the need to break into someone’s house, but with Duo’s help I’m sure I would have no problem. 

My time spent with both vampires went by quickly. I had learned a lot more than I thought I would. 

By the time I had finished training my throat felt like it was on fire.

“Does the burning ever stop?” I asked Duo as we headed back to the house.

“Since you’re new it will burn for a while.” The braided boy said. “After I feed the burning is gone for a couple days before it slowly starts to come back.”

I sighed as we opened the front door to the rundown house. 

Eric and Heero were playing cards on the wobbly kitchen table.

They looked up at us as we entered, a small smile appearing on Heero’s face. 

“Have fun?” Eric asked nonchalantly, placing his cards on the table face up.

Heero growled slightly as he pushed the money on the table toward the blond haired man.

The blond vampire took the money smugly, folding it up so it would neatly fit in his pocket. He then stood up before pushing in his chair. It made a loud screeching sound that echoed through the room. 

He looked at me, a small smirk on his face.

“Hungry yet Kaiba?”

“A bit.” I said simply.

“Well we are going some place special tonight. Heero, Duo pack up were heading home.” 

“Home?” Duo asked, still standing next to me. 

“I would like Kaiba to see how we live and where, so if he chooses he can join us instead of staying here.”

“I won’t leave Mokuba.” I stated, leaving no room for argument.

“I know,” Eric said. “But Mokuba isn’t going to live forever.”

I frowned at the blond man. Though the fact hurt, it was the truth.

“And what happens when people start to notice you don’t age?” Eric continued. “The fact is you can’t stay here forever.”

I looked at the ground considering his words, before putting them behind me.

“I will consider that when the time comes.” I said, my mind made up.

Eric shrugged. “Regardless we are going to our home tonight. You can return here tomorrow.”

Duo and Heero headed to their room to gather their things as Eric and I waited downstairs.

“You didn’t bring anything here?” I asked quizzically, seeing that the blond vampire had no luggage. 

“I bought some clothes, but I threw them away.”

My eyes widened slightly. “Why would you do that?”

The vampire shrugged. “I have enough at home. Money isn’t an issue. I can buy more any time.”

To each his own I guess. 

I began to think about this morning and how Duo thought Eric changing me wasn’t just a whim. He never gave me a reason as to why… Not even when I had asked him about it. I sighed, crossing my arms. Hopefully I would be able to find out something at their home. 

We waited in silence for a few minutes before Duo and Heero returned. 

Together we walked out of the old house to find a limo waiting for us outside. I raised my eyebrow as Duo smiled brightly at me. 

“What can I say... We like a little luxury every now and then!” Duo said. “Aaaand maybe we might be a little lazy…”

I resisted the urge to chuckle at Duo as we climbed into the long car. Duo and Heero sat on one side, Eric and I on the other. 

The other vampires talked amongst themselves while I silently watched the trees fly by. 

I looked up at the half moon shining brightly in the sky. I felt oddly sad that I would never see the sun again. While I never really cared for the bright orb, it was a part of my life. 

I wouldn’t be able to attend school anymore, at least not during the day.

I would never have to see Yugi’s stupid smile or that idiot Honda. Will never have to hear Anzu’s shrill voice or deal with Yami’s condescending attitude. I would never again get into a fight with that mutt…

My heart ached at the thought of never seeing the blond boy again. Never being able to taunt him or see that fire in his eyes. Never being able to watch him sleep in class as the sun gently caresses his skin. 

I sighed at my thoughts. Nothing confused me more than Jounouchi. I knew I didn’t hate him. I knew that for some reason I cared about him… but why?

“Thinking about your lover?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, meeting Duo’s mischievous gaze.

I shrugged slightly at the boy, not designating him with an answer. I had a feeling that regardless of what I said, the braided boy would take it as a yes. 

I could feel Duo smile at me as I returned my gaze to the window.

“Man! I would love to meet the lover of Seto Kaiba! She must be hot as hell!” 

“Be quiet Duo.” Heero said. “For all you know he could have been thinking about his brother.” 

I looked at the messy haired boy, raising my eyebrow in slight surprise. Duo mimicked my movements. 

“That wasn’t a brotherly look Heero!” Duo exclaimed, motioning with his hands. “That was a look of sadness and longing! A look of realization that he could never see his lover again!” 

Heero sighed, looking at me with slight sympathy. As if to say “Sorry, I tried.” I nodded my thanks at the azure eyed vampire. 

“Look Duo,” I said, my voice exasperated. “For one, I wasn’t thinking about my ‘lover’, I don’t even have one. My schedule is far too busy.” I looked at the braided haired boy, my eyes serious. This was a touchy subject to me…Even Heero picked up on that! I could tell that if I didn’t say something, Duo wouldn’t leave it alone. I wasn’t ready to think about my feelings for the blond mutt.

Duo looked at me, his eyes clearly stating that he knew I wasn’t telling him everything. “Well I know you weren’t thinking about your brother.” He said in a matter of facility voice.

I met his violet gaze, sighing inwardly. “Your right… I was thinking of a… a friend.” Duo smiled brightly at me as I once again looked out the window. 

“Unrequited love!” The braided vampire said happily, clapping his hands together. “Don’t give up Seto! Behind that cold exterior I think you’re a kind person! I know she can love you back!” 

I glared at the violet eyed boy. Surprisingly the smile left his face as he sat back in his seat. 

“Don’t give up?” I said menacingly. “My old life is over, if you haven’t forgotten… I’m a fucking vampire!” 

Duo looked at his lap, regretting what he said. 

I sighed, softening my voice. “There is no hope for a future with anyone I had once known. I would be a fool if I held onto old memories deluding myself from reality.”

The violet eyed boy looked up at me sadly before I once again looked out the window. 

The rest of the car ride went in silence. It was the first time I have actually been around Duo without him talking my ear off. It was actually pretty unsettling. I could tell Heero was a bit antsy as well. 

My eyes widened slightly as we turned onto a long brick driveway heading toward a mansion that easily rivaled my own. Duo’s mood perked up as he watched me observe their massive home.

“Not what you were expecting?” He asked as the limo came to a stop.

“Not at all… Honestly.” I said as we got out of the car. 

The mansion was old Victorian… fitting to a vampire I suppose. It was a brick red with white trim. Elegant windows lined the rounded corners with intricate designs engraved around each. Many pointed roofs sat atop the home, each painted in a delicate snow white. 

Needless to say the place was immaculate. You could easily tell by the style and intricate way it was built that it was hundreds of years old, other than that it looked brand new. 

It was no wonder why they didn’t seem impressed with my home.

“Are you going to gawk at it all day or go inside?” I directed my attention to Duo. He was smiling at me, his hands on his hips. 

I fought the blush forming on my cheeks as I nodded at the braided boy before following him toward the massive doors to his home. I sighed inwardly; it was so unlike Seto Kaiba to be in awe of anything. 

I looked at my violet eyed companion, he was smiling softly but I could tell he was still a bit upset about earlier. I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about what he was saying. The vampire life was his choice. I’m sure he tends to forget how hopeless it seems to those who are taken against their will. 

For some reason I didn’t like seeing Duo depressed… It just didn’t suit him. I groaned inwardly at my thoughts. Why did I feel the need to apologize to this person… this vampire? Seto Kaiba doesn’t apologize to anyone.

I looked at the ground, studying the carefully cut bricks as we walked. I felt my shoulders sag slightly.

That Seto Kaiba no longer exists.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, I gently reached over and touched his shoulder. He looked at me, his violet eyes piercing into mine. A few moments passed before he smiled gently at me, patting my hand. “It’s okay Seto, it was my bad. I should have thought about what I was saying.”

I just nodded, removing my hand from his shoulder. We walked quietly together until we reached the doors. Heero was standing and waiting for us, his arms crossed. 

“Could you two possibly be any slower?” He said. I could tell by the tone of his voice he was joking, a small smile was on his lips at seeing Duo in a better mood.

Duo smiled lovingly at Heero before reaching and opening the massive doors. “Seto,” The braided boy said, motioning for me to step inside. “Welcome to our home.”

~*~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 7

~*~

Together we walked into the mansion. The inside was even more immaculate than the outside. The main entrance was painted in shades of gold and red, I was sure the rest of the house would be painted similarly. The ceilings were high and delicately painted with murals. Large archways led from room to room, each hand carved and painted an off white. 

“Isn’t this a lot of space for just three people?” I asked while observing a hand carved statue. “If I do recall you gave me a hard time not too long ago about my home…”

“It would be a lot for three people; however we aren’t the only ones who live here.” I looked over at Eric, who was currently leaning against the railing to a large staircase. 

“Contrary to popular belief, most vampires aren’t ‘loners’. We tend to live in… packs if you will.”

I raised my eyebrow at the blond haired man. “How many are in your ‘pack’?” I asked quizzically.

Eric smiled at me. “Seven as of right now… Eight if you join us.” 

Duo walked over to Eric and put an arm around his shoulder. “Eric is the only one here without a lover…” The braided boy said as the blond man glared daggers at him. “Seto is a rather handsome man.”

I looked at Duo incredulously. How could he even suggest such a thing?

“I’ll take that look as a ‘no’” Eric said with a smirk.

Just then someone walked in the main hall through a large archway. 

“Poor Eric will never find a lover it seems…” 

I looked at the man, who I assumed was one of the vampire residents of the house.

He was perhaps the most beautiful man I had ever seen. If he didn’t have such a masculine voice I would have thought he was a woman. He was tall and lean, wearing a bright maroon Chinese outfit with gold lining. He had medium length fire red hair that seemed to flow with his every movement. His shining green eyes were a huge contrast to his bright hair and pale prefect skin.

The red headed man looked in my direction. A bright, kind smile appeared on his delicate face. “Who do we have here? A newborn?”

“Eric created him the other night.” Duo said nonchalantly, as if talking about the weather. 

The man looked at me with slight surprise on his face before replacing the pleasant smile. “You must be something special then.” He said before walking up to me and holding out his hand. “My name is Kurama, pleasure to meet you.”

I took his hand and shook it firmly. His grip was much stronger than I expected.

“Seto Kaiba.” I said simply. 

He nodded at me, releasing my hand. “That name sounds familiar…” He muttered, touching his chin with his index finger. 

“Seto Kaiba is the owner of a massive electronic and gaming corporation.” Said a deep voice from behind me. 

I turned around, surprised to find a rather short man leaning against the front door directly behind me. I didn’t bother wondering how he got there, I was certain there were many vampire tricks I have yet to learn.

He looked to be about half my height… almost Yugi size. He was dressed in a long black cloak and thick black boots. He had a long sheathed sword draped across his back and a white headband covering his forehead. He had thick dark blue, almost black, spiked hair and intense blood red eyes.

Even though he was short in stature he was intimidating. His whole body radiated confidence. 

“That’s why it sounded so familiar!” Kurama exclaimed. 

Hiei snorted slightly before pushing himself off of the door. “Why is he even here Eric?” The red eyed vampire asked, directing his gaze to the blond man. 

“He has the option of joining us if he wishes.” Eric said, his arms crossed. “Just what we need…” The dark haired man said before disappearing and reappearing right next to Kurama.

My eyes widened slightly. I could hardly follow his movements.

“Kaiba-san” Kurama said, gaining my attention. “This is Hiei. Don’t worry he will warm up to you eventually.”

Hiei snorted and glared at Kurama. The red haired man smiled fondly back. 

Even after knowing these two for a few short minutes, I could tell that they were together. 

There was no mistaking the deep love in Kurama’s sharp green eyes and while Hiei glared, there was softness in his stature. 

They were certainly an odd couple, giving the fact that Kurama was almost as tall as me, but I could tell their bond was immeasurable. 

“A visitor?!” I heard a happy voice yell from the top of the stairs. “Is this Eric’s lover?”

I looked up the steppes to find a brightly smiling blond haired boy. He looked to be about 16 years old, but considering what he was, he was most likely much older. He had shining blue eyes and what looked to be whisker marks on his adorable face. He was dressed in a bright orange shirt and blue pants. A blue headband, similar to Hiei’s, was wrapped around his forehead. 

“Naruto,” Eric said, turning his head and looking up at the blond boy. “This is Seto Kaiba and no, he’s not my lover.”

Naruto frowned for a second before bounding down the stairs. “Kaiba eh? Nice to meet ya! My name is Naruto!”

I shook his hand silently, wondering how such a happy go lucky boy became a vampire. 

“So you’re going to be staying with us?” Naruto asked as we left the entrance hall and walked into what looked to be a living room. 

“Probably not.” I answered, sitting down on a red velvet couch. 

“Seto has a younger brother who can’t live on his own yet.” Duo said, seeing Naruto’s questioning look. 

The blond boy placed his hands on his chin, deep in thought. He looked at me, his shining blue eyes piercing my own. “Watching your brother grow up while you stay the same will be painful…” He muttered quietly. “Maybe it would be best to just disappear.”

I glared at the blond boy. I couldn’t just leave my brother. He needed me and I needed him. 

I know that he will eventually notice my lack of aging, my cold skin, or changed eating habits. I know I can’t hide this from him forever… But I had to take the chance.   
“I will deal with the situation when it comes up. I will not leave my brother… Not now.” I said sternly. 

Naruto looked at me empathetically, his hands still on his chin. 

“Don’t worry Naruto!” Duo said happily, breaking the awkward silence. “Seto’s a tough guy, he will make it through!” 

Just then the sweet smell of fresh blood filled my nostrils, reminding my burning throat that I have not yet eaten today. I directed my gaze toward the heavenly smell. There standing underneath the large off white arch that connected this room and the last, was an older women with pink hair. She looked to be about 25 or so, her face still just as stunning as it might have been in her teens. Her bright aqua eyes peered at me quizzically, her frail arms on her hips. She was wearing a medium length pink dress and a simple pearl necklace around her delicate neck. I swallowed harshly the burning in my throat almost unbearable. I could hear the fresh blood pulsing through her veins.

My gaze at the delectable girl was suddenly broken when a dark haired boy abruptly stepped in front of her. He was about the same height as Naruto, maybe a little taller. His black piercing eyes glared into my own, as if daring me to take one more look at the human’s succulent flesh. He had dark obsidian hair that hung to his chin in the front. The back was cut short and spiky and somehow gave him a handsome look. He was wearing a dark blue turtle neck that clung to his lean body perfectly. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his baggy tan pants, his gaze unwavering. He gave off a similar vibe to Hiei, someone who was not to be reckoned with.   
I looked away from them, focusing my gaze to the carpet in front of me. I silently studied the golden designs of the rug, trying to take my mind off of the fire in my throat. Why this human was in a house full of vampires I couldn’t fathom. Eric did say we were coming here for dinner… 

“Seto…” Duo said, noticing my obvious discomfort. “The black haired boy there is Naruto’s boyfriend Sasuke, and the pink haired woman is their good friend Sakura.” 

I looked at the two once more, trying to meet the human’s eyes instead of her delicate skin. “Seto Kaiba.” I said nodding slightly. 

I felt relief that she was a friend and not on the dinner menu. Though I couldn’t fathom how a human had become friends with a bunch of vampires.

“Nice to meet you!” Sakura said happily, bowing slightly. As she moved her smell intensified, I once again directed my gaze to the carpet before I felt Duo’s hand fall gently on my shoulder. 

“What do you say we eat?” The braided boy suggested as I silently thanked him. 

“Good Idea.” Kurama said, standing up.

“I guess that’s my queue to leave.” Sakura said, wrinkling her nose. “Nice meeting you Kaiba.” She said before turning to leave the room, Sasuke and Naruto on her heels. 

“Likewise.” I said before standing up and following Heero and Duo out of the room.

The dining room, like the rest of the house, was decorated in red, gold, white, and off white. There were several pictures hanging on the walls that complimented the large cherry wood table in the center of the room. Multiple chairs with red and gold cushions surrounded the table and a large glass chandelier hung from above. 

I took a seat next to Duo and watched silently as the others sat down. 

Never in my wildest dreams would I have pictured a bunch of vampires sitting down together at a dinner table like normal human beings. I found myself wondering how exactly we were going to eat.

Were they going to put a dead body in the middle of the table? Bring out bowls of blood? Cups of blood? Maybe a huge serving bowl of blood and a straw for each of us?

I snorted at my last thought, gaining a quizzical raised eyebrow from Duo. 

A moment later Naruto and Sasuke entered the room, taking a seat at the table. Shortly after Kurama, followed by Hiei, entered the room holding a bowl in each hand. They placed the bowls in front of us; the warm red liquid swirled within each as they connected with the table. 

I was mildly surprised. Though I didn’t know what to expect, the dead body seemed more feasible than the delicate bowls of blood. 

Duo chuckled, noticing my semi surprised not-really-knowing-what-to-think face. 

“Do you guys always eat like this?” I asked as Hiei and Kurama returned with more bowls. 

“No, not usually.” Naruto said in between spoonfuls. “We generally only do this when we have guests!” 

I shrugged, my burning throat breaking though my thoughts. I took a heaping spoonful and put it in my mouth. The warm metallic liquid soothing the fire as it traveled to my stomach. I hungrily ate the whole bowl, my body reminding me that I hadn’t fed all day. I could feel a stream of blood drop down my chin as I feverously shoved spoon after spoon in my mouth. 

Once the last spoonful was gone I wiped my chin, glancing at my fellow vampires. I felt slightly embarrassed since all of them were staring at me with slightly wide eyes. 

“I think you should feed your pet more often Eric.” Sasuke said nonchalantly before returning his attention to his own bowl. 

Eric smirked at the raven haired boy before directing his gaze to me. “Perhaps.” He said simply. 

Before I could retort that I wasn’t Eric’s pet, Kurama appeared with another bowl of blood, placing it gently in front of me.

“Eat all you want.” The red headed vampire said kindly. “Though try to save room for desert.”

I raised my eyebrow slightly, wondering how a vampire could have desert, before dismissing the thought and digging into my second bowl. 

Once I was finished with the second bowl the burning in my throat had subsided. I could barely feel the slight tingling behind my tongue. 

It wasn’t long before Kurama brought out ‘desert’ which consisted of frozen blood. 

It was surprisingly good, not something I would have ever thought of. I couldn’t even remember the last time I even ate ice cream as a human.

Not that this was ice cream, but it was as close enough.

I watched silently as the vampires around me talked amongst themselves. Somehow I felt at ease, as if I had known them forever. It was odd since I had never felt such peace as a human. I was always out of place at school. The only one who didn’t treat me with respect or fear was…

I sighed, my mind once again drifting to the blond mutt. 

I looked to my left, noticing Sasuke staring lovingly at Naruto. I had only known the man about an hour but I knew he didn’t look at anyone else the same way he did the bright blond haired boy.

I thought for a moment about the couples around me. I had never been against homosexual relationships in the past but I had never really thought too much into them either. Though they were men I had never seen such strong bonds before. They way Kurama and Hiei ever so slightly brush their hands together or how Duo casually brushes Heero’s bangs from his face. Every movement, every look, was special and only meant for the other. I had never thought such a love was even possible… Or that I would find myself silently longing for such a feeling. 

I once again thought about Jounouchi. Just what did he mean to me?

My thoughts were broken as Eric stood up and pushed his chair in. “If you all would excuse me I have matters that I need to attend to.” The blond vampire said as he turned to leave the room. “Enjoy your evening Seto, tomorrow you are free to go.”

Everyone bid Eric good night as I silently glared at his retreating form. Somehow he didn’t belong here, with these people. He was the only thing out of place. While I didn’t have any evidence I was confident in Duo’s words. There was something about the man I didn’t trust. 

~*~


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 8

~*~

After dinner everyone converged back into the living room. I found myself mildly amused listening to the conversations around me. I felt oddly at ease in this home, in this room full of monsters. 

I laughed inwardly. I guess, being a monster myself, I fit right in. 

This whole experience has been nothing like I had expected. These people were nothing like I expected. Besides the fact that they had to drink blood to survive, they were just like normal people… Well that and the fact that going out in the sun would kill them. 

Sadly enough, most of the human race seemed more monstrous than the vampires chatting in this room.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Duo plopped down next to me, his violet eyes shining. 

“I see you’re not horribly opposed to being here Seto.”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Could be quieter.” I said, looking over at Naruto, who was boisterously expressing his opinion on how Ninjas were far better than Samurai. 

Duo chuckled. “You get use to it. After a while it will seem quite odd without all the noise.”

“Hn.” I said shortly, dismissing the subject. 

“So why was there a human woman here? How did she become friends with a couple of vampires?” I asked casually, trying to hide my interest in the subject. 

Duo smiled. “Sakura was a dear friend to Sasuke before he became a vampire. Sasuke has actually only been a vampire for a few years!”

I looked over at Sasuke who was watching Naruto with a fond smile. 

“I’d tell you their story but it isn’t my place.” Duo said, leaning back on the red velvet couch. “They aren’t very open with people until the get to really know them... Well at least Sasuke isn’t very open until he gets to know you.”

Duo chuckled slightly as I directed my gaze back to him. “I can tell they have a strong bond.” I said in observation.

“Do the same sex relationships bother you?” Duo asked quizzically. “I’m sure you don’t see it too often with your lifestyle.”

I looked away from Duo in contemplation. “I’ve never been against them. I’ve really never even thought much about them, or any relationship for that matter.” 

I looked back at Duo, his violet eyes full of interest. “I have never seen such strong bonds before. To me, it seems like it wouldn’t matter the sex. With bonds like you and Heero have, or any of the others here, it seems like it was mean to be.”

I shrugged, looking away from the violet eyed man. It was unusual for me to converse like this, especially about such a touchy subject. But then again I’ve never had people openly talk to me without fear of some sort. It was almost comforting in a way.

Duo smiled brightly at me as he gently patted my shoulder. “I’m glad you feel that way Seto! Seems you’re not as bad of a person as the world makes you out to be.”

I snorted slightly at the braided boy’s comment. I was feared because I wanted to be feared. No one would respect me as the CEO of such a successful company if I was soft and friendly.

“Now!” Duo said excitedly, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Tell me about this ‘friend’ of yours. She seems to always be on your mind.” 

“No.” I said flatly, leaning back on the couch and crossing my arms. 

“Awe Seto!” Duo whined. “You can tell me!”

I looked at the pleading violet eyed boy, a small smirk forming on my face.

“You’re absolutely right. I could tell you.” I said amusedly.

Duo’s eyes brightened slightly. “Well?”

“Not gonna happen.” I said after a few moments of feigned thought.

“You suck. Jerk.” Duo said as he crossed his arms and sat back on the couch. 

I found myself smiling slightly at Duo’s pouty face. 

“Does she at least love you back?” He asked softly, almost tentatively.

Love. 

Such a strong word. 

I thought about the blond haired boy. I knew I didn’t hate him, but that’s all I know.

Maybe that’s all I want to know. 

It was something I wasn’t ready to think about. 

Regardless, even if I did feel anything for him, there was no way he would ever love someone like me. The only thing I have ever done is make his life hell. 

“No.” I said flatly. “There is no way.”

Duo frowned at my comment, his violet orbs full of concern.

I sighed heavily as I stood up, ignoring the braided boys sad eyes. 

“Thank you for the meal.” I said, catching everyone’s attention. “I would like to retire if that is possible?”

“Of course!” Kurama said as he stood up from his spot next to Hiei. “Ill show you to your room.” 

“Thank you.” I said as I followed the red haired man out of the room. 

“Please don’t be angry with Duo.” Kurama said as we headed up a large flight of ivory colored stairs. “He doesn’t mean any harm. He’s just overly interested in things that have to do with love.”

I nodded at his statement. “I understand.”

We walked down a long corridor before we reached a room with a large off white door. 

“Ok here is your room. We will see you in the morning… or evening rather.” I nodded curtly at the green eyed man before opening the door and heading inside. 

It was a large windowless room, though not as large as my room at home. It was decorated in the same colors as the rest of the house with intricate Victorian designs. Two cherry wood dressers were on two separate walls and a large television was attached to the wall opposite of a king bed. A small bathroom was through a door on the left and a large walk in closet was on the wall closest to the main door. 

I sighed heavily as I lay down on the bed. Tomorrow I would be able to go home. Tomorrow would be the beginning of my new life. 

How would I tell Mokuba? I couldn’t hide it for very long. What if Mokuba sees me as a monster?

I shook my head trying to rid myself of such thoughts. I would just have to try to hide it as long as I could. I would figure out the rest when I had to.

I closed my eyes as my head sunk into the soft pillow.

As I drifted off to sleep I envisioned Jounouchi sleeping in class, the sun gently caressing his skin. 

~*~

I awoke with a start as a ball of braided energy bounced on my bed. 

“Wh-what the?” I said as I fought to gain my composure. Not even Mokuba dared to wake me up like this. “D-Duo! What the hell do you think your doing!?” 

Duo laughed as he stopped bouncing and sat on the bed with his legs folded. “It’s already almost 8:30 sleepy head! I figured you would want to get home at a decent hour!”

I groaned as I sat up, running my hand through my hair. “Couldn’t you have just knocked?” 

The violet eyed boy laughed brightly. “I could have knocked, yes.”

I sighed as I stood up and stretched my arms in the air. “Ok I’m up. You can leave now.”

Duo smiled. “Someone is grumpy in the morning.” 

I turned and glared at him as he grinned in return.

“Fine, fine. I’ll see you downstairs.” 

I watched silently as Duo bounded out of the room, noticing Heero standing in the doorway. The azure eyed boy gave me a sympathetic smile before he followed Duo downstairs. 

I begrudgingly got off the bed and entered the bathroom, surprised to find it stocked with a variety of shampoos and conditioners, as well as an unopened toothbrush and toothpaste. 

I felt a small smile creep onto my face as I hopped into the shower. I had never before met anyone like Duo, for some reason I just couldn’t be mad at him.

Once my shower was done I brushed my teeth before heading downstairs. 

Everyone, except Eric, was there to greet me as I reached the bottom of the stair case.

“It was nice to meet you Kaiba-san.” Kurama said softly. “You are welcome here anytime.”

I nodded at the red headed man. “Thank you for your hospitality.” 

“Come back and visit us soon!” Naruto said happily. 

“Thanks Everyone.” I said before turning and opening the front door. “Goodbye.”

I walked out into the cool night air, surprised to find a limo waiting. 

“Seto!” I turned to see Duo and Heero approaching me. 

“We just wanted to see you off.” Duo said as he reached me. “Here!”

I looked at Duo’s extended hand, finding a folded piece of paper. I looked at the braided boy inquisitively. 

“It’s my cell phone number. Don’t lose touch!” I nodded as I took the paper from the boy, a bright smile appearing on his face. 

“Good luck Seto.” Duo said, extending his hand. “Thanks Duo.” I said as I shook his hand before shaking Heero’s as well. 

With that I got into the limo and was on my way home.

The car ride seemed to drag on forever as I watched the trees fly by through the dark tinted window. 

Idly I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the folded piece of paper Duo had given me.

It will be good to have his number, at least until I got this whole vampire thing down. I shrugged slightly as I returned my hand to my coat pocket, intending to take out my phone. I froze as my fingers touched the soft fabric of my empty pocket. 

My phone…

Quickly I searched the remaining pockets in my coat before patting the pockets of my jeans. Did I remember ever having my phone since this whole thing happened? I ran the events of the weekend through my mind. I knew I had my phone the night I was walking home… but after that? 

I shook my head, my fists clenching. No. After I woke up I never had my phone… I never even realized it was missing. 

My stomach turned slightly. I hadn’t even thought about how I hadn’t heard from Mokuba… How no one from my company had called. There was never a day where my phone wasn’t ringing off the hook. 

What if something happened to Mokuba? What if he had been trying to call me this whole time?

I glared out the tinted window, the trees flying by much too slowly. Thoughts of Mokuba flew through my mind. The thought of something happening to him was unbearable.

Abruptly, I told the limo driver to pull over before dashing out of the car and down the road as fast as my legs would take me. My brow was furrowed with worry as my heavy boots hit the hard cement. My surroundings where familiar, I wasn’t too far from home.

My mansion looked peaceful as I ran up the long cobblestone driveway. Nothing seemed out of place. I slowed my pace as I reached the front doors before quickly throwing them open. I was greeted with silence as the doors echoed through the large home. I felt my stomach turn as I looked around, noticing the coat rack empty.

“Mokuba!” I yelled as I walked inside. 

No answer. 

“Mokuba!!” I yelled again as my brothers faint voice was heard from somewhere within the house. 

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I heard his small footsteps head in my direction. “Onii-sama!!!” I heard his trembling voice cry as he ran down the stairs and into my sight.

I fell to my knees as Mokuba jumped into my arms, his face wet with tears. “Onii-sama!” He sobbed. “I was so worried!!” 

“Mokuba…” I said softly. “It’s okay. Don’t cry.” The raven haired boy pulled away from me, tears still streaming down his face. “What’s going on? Where have you been? Are we really disbanding the company??” 

I looked at my brother in surprise. “What?! Disbanding!?” 

Mokuba nodded. “Yes, it’s all over the news! I tried calling you so many times! I tried telling them it wasn’t true, that it wasn’t you who had said that Kaiba Corp. was disbanding but no one would listen!” The boy sobbed as I pulled him close. “I was so worried Onii-sama! Where have you been…? You’re so cold!” My stomach wrenched slightly as I pulled away from the raven haired boy. “I was away for the weekend in a meeting.” I said, looking down at the crying boy. “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” He asked as I released him from my embrace and stood up. “My phone got lost and I didn’t have time to replace it.” The raven haired boy nodded as he too, got up off the ground. “Let’s go Mokuba, we need to go straighten this whole mess out.” 

Mokuba nodded, wiping his face, before heading to one of my many couches and picking up his coat. He had probably just thrown it there when he came home. We quickly walked through the house and into the garage, before speeding down the road in the direction of Kaiba Corp.

~*~


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 9

~*~

It didn’t take more than me bursting into the building, my body radiating anger and superiority, to convince the world that Kaiba Corp. was still in business. I gave a brief announcement that I was away for the weekend and that anything heard while in my absence was false. 

By the time I had finished answering the numerous questions from the many reporters; Mokuba had already drifted to sleep on the small leather couch in my office. I smiled fondly at the small boy before I picked up my phone and called my secretary. Not surprisingly she answered on the 5th ring, her voice drowsy as if she had just woken up. 

I quickly told her that by the end of the day tomorrow she needed to have the darkest curtains possible covering every single window in my office as well as at least 4 sets of black curtains and blinds delivered to the mansion. Without asking a single question she agreed before I hung up the phone and once again directed my attention to Mokuba. I found myself smiling fondly as I gently picked up the sleeping boy before carrying him to the car. It wasn’t long before we were home. I quietly carried him up to his bed before gently kissing him on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams little brother.” I said softly before quickly exiting the room. 

I could feel my throat burning as I walked down the large flight of stairs and reached the front door. 

Once outside I headed in the direction of the forest, my feet barely making a sound as I quickly navigated the familiar streets.

My trip was cut short, however, when the most delectable scent that I had ever smelled filled my nostrils, igniting the fire in my throat. I couldn’t even think as my instincts took over, my body moving toward the source of the smell. It was pure heaven. Nothing had ever smelled better. I could feel my fangs growing as I grew closer, the burning in my throat almost unbearable.

I slowed to a stop as I reached the shadier part of town, the streets seemingly void of life. The crisp air filled my lungs as the heavenly smell overwhelmed my senses. Without thinking I crept down a deserted street, following the scent into a small alley. 

I was unprepared for what I saw when I turned the corner, my stomach instantly twisting into knots. There, in the middle of the alley, blood pouring from several stab wounds, was Jounouchi.

I vaguely felt my body shaking as I neared him, the burning in my throat forgotten. His delicate blond hair was soaked with dirt and blood, his face was marred with cuts and bruises. His shirt had been ripped off and tossed aside, the pale pink of his skin replaced with black and blue.

I sank to my knees as I reached him, my body in shock. Cautiously, I picked up his still hand and checked for a pulse. 

Instant relief flooded through my body as I felt his blood pumping strong and clear. Carefully I examined the several cut wounds, finding that while they were deep, they weren’t meant to kill. 

The relief was replaced with anger as I gently picked up the unconscious boy, a small moan of pain escaping his bruised lips. Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone do this? 

I growled slightly as I stifled my anger. I would worry about that later. Right now Jounouchi needed his wounds cleaned and wrapped. 

Before I could think another thought I was on the move back toward the mansion. Once there I quickly took the blond haired boy up to my room before gently placing him down on my bed.

My chest was tight as I stared at him, his bruised chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. Silently I vowed that whoever did this would not get away with it. They would regret the day they messed with someone important to Seto Kaiba.

I paused before snorting slightly at the thought…

Someone important…

“Holy shit Seto!!” 

Startled, I turned to face an equally surprised Duo, who was standing in my door way. His mouth was agape as he tightly held onto what looked like black curtains in his arms. 

“Seto man… Really… There are less violent ways to get a meal…”

Stunned I could hardly think of a reply as he quickly entered the room and shut the door behind him.

“And your bed is not the ideal place to put the body!! What are you thinking?!” 

Duo sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I thought you were smarter than this Seto…” 

I narrowed my eyes at the braided boy’s insult. “I am.” I said curtly as I turned to fully face him. “I didn’t kill him… he’s in fact alive. I found him in an alley when I was heading out to hunt.” 

The violet eyed boy raised his eyebrow slightly at me as he set the bags of curtains on a cerulean reclining chair. “So you brought him home for a midnight snack?”

“What? No.” I said, irritation clear on my voice as I returned my focus to the blond haired boy. “He happens to be someone I know. I couldn’t just leave him there to bleed to death.” 

Duo paused slightly at my comment before a bright smile spread across his face.

“Its true the great Seto Kaiba has a heart!” I snorted at his comment before he walked up to the bed, his violet eyes locked onto the unconscious blond man. 

I watched silently as Duo inspected his wounds, his hands gently touching Jounouchi’s once pale pink skin. I growled inwardly at myself as I felt what seemed to be jealousy rise from the pit of my stomach. This was definitely not a good time for such feelings or thoughts. 

I felt myself blush slightly as Duo reached to unzip the blond boy’s pants. As if noticing my discomfort Duo turned toward me before telling me to go fetch bandages and something to disinfect the wounds. I nodded before heading to the nearest bathroom to gather the supplies. 

When I returned Duo had Jounouchi down to his boxers. I frowned at the many painful bruises on his pale legs as I handed Duo the bandages and rubbing alcohol. Though I would never admit it, I was glad that Duo was here helping. I had never dressed anyone’s wounds before and I was honestly unsure of how to even begin.

“Man…” Duo said as he prepared a cloth for cleaning. “He has been through a lot. Most of these bruises are old.”

I frowned heavily at Duo’s statement as I silently I watched as him expertly cleansed each wound. It broke my heart to see the blond boy in such shape.

Once Duo was finished I helped him wrap the blond boy’s torso and bandage the cuts on his face. Once that was done, we carefully moved Jounouchi off the bed before changing the sheets and blankets. After replacing him on the bed and covering him up Duo motioned to the cerulean chair he had placed the black curtains on. 

“I figured you’d need some curtains since I knew your house wasn’t quite vampire proof.” Duo said before motioning to Jounouchi. “It’s a good thing I stopped by.”

My eyes skimmed over the unconscious boy on my bed as I nodded at Duo’s comment. While Jounouchi’s wounds weren’t life threatening, he was bleeding. Who knows what could have happened if Duo hadn’t showed up.   
“Thank you.” I said sincerely as I turned to face him. 

Duo smiled brightly as he patted me on the shoulder. “Anything for my friends Seto!” 

I shook my head slightly at the word ‘friend’. It wasn’t a term I was familiar with. Regardless Duo was the closest thing to a friend that I have ever had.

I took a relieved breath, my throat once again reminding me I had not fed yet. With the imminent danger to Jounouchi’s life gone, the sweet smell of his blood once again registered in my nostrils. I covered my nose instinctively before looking over at Duo.

“I need to eat.” I said simply as the violet eyed boy nodded at me. 

“You go ahead, Ill watch over him until you get back.” 

I nodded my thanks before once again rushing downstairs and out the front door. 

By the time I had fed and returned Duo already had three of the four windows in my room covered in the black curtains he had bought.

“Seto!” Duo said happily in greeting as I re-entered the room. “Did you have a good meal?” 

“Has he woken up?” I asked, ignoring the braided boy’s previous comment.

Duo smiled before turning his attention to the black fabric. “Nope, been sleeping like a baby!”

I nodded before walking across the room to help with the curtains. 

“Where were you planning on sleeping tonight if you didn’t have curtains?” Duo asked quizzically as he helped me attach the rod to the hooks on the wall. 

I shrugged. In all honesty I hadn’t even thought about it really. “The basement I guess.” I said as I took a step back to admire our work. “I called my secretary to have curtains delivered by tomorrow night.”   
Duo chuckled slightly at me. “Well at least now you’ll have some extras!” 

Ignoring the braided boy I let my gaze wander back to the blond man. Never had I imagined he would be here, let alone in my bed, but I felt oddly at ease. At least with him here I knew he was safe. 

“So what’s his name?” Duo asked, noticing my stare.

“Jounouchi.” I said simply.

“You work with him?”

“No. He goes to my high school. I’ve known him a very long time.”

I pulled my gaze away from Jounouchi to look at Duo, his violet eyes mischievous. 

“Are you guy’s friends?”

I laughed slightly. “No. More like enemies.” 

“You must like him though.” Duo said in observation. I looked at him quizzically, my azure gaze burning into his. 

“I don’t like anyone except my brother.” I said, my tone of voice leaving no room for argument.

“Ouch! I’m hurt!” Duo said in mock sadness. I rolled my eyes at the braided boy before crossing my arms. 

Duo laughed, his knowing gaze penetrating my own. “Look Seto, I know love when I see it. And believe it or not you are in love.”

I looked aghast at Duo’s comment. Me? In love?

“I don’t know a thing about love.” I stated, giving the braided man the full force of my glare.

Duo seemed unfazed as his crooked smile never left his lips. “True. But that doesn’t mean that you aren’t in love.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” I said, irritation seeping through my voice. I wasn’t ready to think about my feelings for Jounouchi. Love was something I couldn’t feel, something that I didn’t want to feel.

Duo’s face turned serious as he took a step closer in order to grab my arm and turn me toward the sleeping boy on my bed. 

“It’s true I may not know you very well yet but there are some things I do know.”

“I know that the way you look at him isn’t the look one friend gives to another. I know that the look of worry on your face is more than for that of a simple friend. I know that look of wishful longing was the exact same look I saw in the limo. I know that Seto Kaiba doesn’t allow anyone into his home, let alone his bed, unless he cares very deeply for them.”

Duo turned me back to face him, his serious eye’s unsettling. “I know that you don’t allow help from anyone, yet you let me help him. I know that thank you is not something you use lightly, and yet you thanked me. All for him.”

A bright smile appeared on his face as he released me. “You can fool yourself Seto Kaiba, but you can’t fool me.”

Before I could even reply the braided boy was headed for the door. 

“It will be daylight soon, I’ll see you around!”

And with that, he was gone. 

I sighed as I gently rubbed my forehead before once again gazing at the blond boy.

What was it about Jounouchi that was so different from other people?

Why was I so drawn to him? 

I shook my head slightly as I pushed the cerulean reclining chair so it sat next to the bed. 

I knew I didn’t hate him.

I knew that I cared for him.

But Love?

I sighed to myself as I sat down to watch the blond boy sleep. I found an odd sense of comfort as I watched Jounouchi’s chest rise and fall with each breath, an occasional snore escaping his lips.   
It wasn’t long before I too, found myself in the land of slumber. 

~*~


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiva POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 10

~*~

It was early evening and I found myself once again sitting in a large chair next to Jounouchi’s bed, the blond boy still sound asleep.

After the first night I had Duo help me move him to a guest room since I wasn’t about to crawl in bed with him and sleeping on that reclining chair wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world. Yet every night after the sun went down I found myself here, finding comfort in his even breaths. 

It had been four days since I found him in the alley and he has yet to awaken. 

For some reason Mokuba was ecstatic to have Jounouchi here. Every day he would visit him, hoping for a playmate when he woke up. 

Mokuba had also adjusted to my new schedule without question. I had told him that I needed to spend more time focusing on the company rather than school and would be in the office most days. He never questioned why I went in so early or came home so late, though he has insisted on me wearing sweaters in the house because I was always so cold. 

I laughed to myself. Even as a vampire I managed to live life during the day and sleep at night. Granted I had to stay in my office until the sun went down, at least I could still be on Mokuba’s schedule. 

I looked at the blond boy. 

His face was peaceful, despite the few bandages that covered his healing cuts. Some of the bruises on his body were starting to fade while the fresh ones seemed to grow darker. The ever present frown on my face deepened as I considered the aged bruises on Jounouchi’s delicate skin. My mind flashed back to the last day I had seen him before I was changed, how he cringed from the slightest touch and the worried faces from his friends.

I sighed. Speaking of his friends…

I made the mistake of letting Yugi know where Jounouchi was since Mokuba had told me he and his friends were worried sick and on the brink of getting the whole city involved in searching for him.   
Now they came to visit every day. Like clockwork they were on my doorstep 15 minutes after school ended.

I avoided them for the most part since I was frequently at my office in the Kaiba Corp. building from dawn until dusk. But there have been several occasions that they were still here, long after I returned from work. I rubbed my forehead in frustration. The last thing I wanted was Yugi and his posse in my house every day. 

Jounouchi snorted slightly in his sleep, bringing my mind back to the present. I sighed once again, knowing that as long as it made Jounouchi happy I would allow his friends here. 

I have had a lot of time to think about what Duo said the past four days.

While I still wasn’t sure if it was love, I have come to terms with the fact that I care very deeply for Jounouchi. More than just a friend. 

The realization constantly boggles my mind. I had never considered my sexual orientation and I have found little interest in both men and women. I have always walked through life thinking that I didn’t need a relationship... That it would only be an obstacle in my way.

It wasn’t until now that I realized that I have been lying to myself. While it was true that I haven’t had interest in a relationship, I have had an interest in Jounouchi. 

I have always desired contact with him. Whether it be insulting him or bringing out that fire in his amber eyes. I have always noticed him… Things that I shouldn’t notice. Like the way the sun caresses his skin when he sleeps in class, or the brilliant color of his eyes. Even things like how cute his face gets when he pouts or how soft and silky his skin looks.

I somehow feel complete when he is around and my heart aches when he’s gone. The very thought of him being sad or anyone hurting him makes my blood boil…

Even when I am the cause of his pain.

I sighed for what seemed like the 100th time, as I looked away from the blond man and toward the ceiling. Part of me wished Duo would have never said anything to me, then maybe I could have kept these thoughts and feeling buried.

I had never wanted to think about them… never wanted to notice or realize that I could have feelings for someone. 

I growled inwardly as I stood up from my chair.

Regardless these thoughts do me no good. How could Jounouchi ever love someone who has caused him nothing but pain? Let alone someone of the same sex. While I know Jounouchi isn’t homophobic, I know his interests lie with women… Mai is a perfect example of that.

I snorted. And lets not forget the tiny issue of my thirst for blood and immortality. 

Quietly I left the room, gently shutting the door behind me. 

I walked down stairs and into the living room, not surprised to find Duo and Mokuba playing video games. 

I found myself smiling fondly as the pair bantered back and forth as they raced for the finish line.

Since Duo insisted on forcing himself into my life, it didn’t take long for Mokuba to meet him. The two had taken to each other instantly and have been friends ever since. Even Heero frequented the mansion, dragged here by Duo no doubt. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, the vampire pair had become as much apart of my life as my brother.

“Hi Seto!” Duo said without breaking eye contact with the screen. “Jounouchi awake yet?”

“Not yet.” I said simply as I headed for the front door. 

“Duo I need to leave for a bit, mind staying with Mokuba until I get back?”

“Yep! Sure Seto no problem!” Without missing a beat Duo waved at me over his shoulder, before once again placing it on his controller.

“Cya Onii-sama!” Mokuba said cheerfully as he relentlessly tried to pass the braided boy. 

I shook my head slightly as I stepped outside into the night air, the smell of fresh human blood instantly filling my lunges. 

I inhaled deeply as I spotted a dark figure quickly walking up my drive way. A frown immediately appeared on my face. There was no way someone could just waltz onto my property without setting off alarms. Not to mention, if this person somehow managed to get in un-noticed, why would they approach in plain sight? 

I waited patiently with my arms crossed and a glare plastered on my face. My frowned deepened as I recognized the erratic spiky hair and short stature of the man who was steadily approaching. 

Yugi.

The spiky haired boy was solemnly looking the ground as he approached. It took him nearly running into me to realize that I was standing in front of the door. 

“K-Kaiba!” Yugi said, startled. 

I glared down at the short boy. “How did you get in here?” I asked as he looked nervously at the ground. 

“Um… I’m not supposed to say but Mokuba gave me the code to open the gate.”

I sighed inwardly. Leave it to Mokuba to give the very people I don’t want to see free access to the house… I would be changing the code tomorrow morning.

“Jounouchi is still sleeping.” I said, trying to hide the irritation in my voice. 

“I’m not here to see Jounouchi.” Yugi said, his violet eyes serious.

I resisted the urge to sigh once again.

“What do you want Yugi?” 

“Look Kaiba…” The spiky haired boy said, gathering his thoughts. “I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do… but I think you’re the only one who can keep Jounouchi safe.”

I fought to my interest in the subject off my face as the violet eyed boy fidgeted under my gaze. I desperately wanted to know what happened to Jounouchi and why. It was the only way I could keep him safe.

“I can’t be sure who did this to him, but I suspect it could have been his father.”

My eyes widened slightly in surprise as I waited for him to continue. 

“He won’t tell me who does it but he has been beaten before. At first it was just one or two bruises, but lately it’s been getting worse and worse.”

I tried my best to suppress my anger at the thought of Jounouchi’s father beating him as Yugi continued.

“His father has been looking for him and somehow he managed to get Honda to tell him where Jounouchi is.” Yugi paused as my glare intensified

“I just wanted to let you know in case anyone suspicious comes over… Or his father. Please don’t leave them alone together.”

I looked down at the spiky haired boy, my face un-amused.

“What makes you think I care about that stupid mutt? Your wasting your time here, go home Yugi.”

Without another word I walked past the violet eyed boy and into the night.

I could practically feel the smile that was spread across his cheeks as his whispered ‘Thank You’ reached my ears. 

I growled inwardly as I paused to watch the boy turn and head back in the direction he came.

Since when was I so easy to read? 

First Duo and now Yugi… Maybe it was just violet eyes that somehow seemed to see through me?

I shook my head at the ridiculous thought before continuing my trek toward the forest.

I took a deep breath when I reached the edge of the woods, inhaling the wet bark and moss. 

I felt oddly comfortable in the forest, despite what I came here to do.

It didn’t take long for me to spot a deer casually feeding in a nearby meadow. I felt the familiar twisting of my stomach as I started toward my grisly task. I hated being this monster that had to take innocent life. 

Who could ever love such a being?

Who could accept such a monster into their life?

I erased the thoughts from my head as I let instincts take over. 

I tried not to think as my thirst was sated. Once finished I quickly headed back to the mansion, not surprised to find Mokuba and Duo in the exact same positions I left them in. Without a word I found myself heading up the stairs toward Jounouchi’s room. 

I longed to be near the blond haired boy, to feel the comfort of his presence. 

I reached his door before quietly turning the doorknob and entering the room. I stopped dead in my tracks as Jounouchi’s surprised amber gaze met my own. 

~*~


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 11

~*~

The blond boy’s mouth was agape as he stared incredulously at me. I felt as if my body was frozen in place as his intense gaze met my own. 

I felt both dread and happiness that Jounouchi was finally awake. 

I was glad that he was okay and oddly enough, a little nervous. Disbelief still haunted Jounouchi’s honey eyes as I waited expectantly for them to fill with anger. It was obvious that the last person he thought he would see when he woke up was me. I’m sure I was the last person he even wanted to see. Any second he would walk out in disgust at being in his enemy’s home. 

A few more seconds passed before the blond boy shook his head quickly before rubbing his eyes. 

“I must be dreaming…” He muttered to himself as he once again opened them, finding me still there. 

“Not a dream mutt.” I said offhandedly, resulting in a glare from the newly awakened man.

Jounouchi then moved his gaze from me to his battered chest, which was still wrapped in bandages. Cautiously he reached up to touch his face, his frown deepening as he felt the white gauze that adorned his cheek. 

I watched curiously as emotion played on his face as he seemingly remembered what had happened to him. 

A few moments passed before he once again looked at me. My stomach twisted at the almost empty look in his eyes. I had never seen Jounouchi look so… Defeated.

“Where am I?” He asked quietly.

“My mansion.” 

He shook his head as if still in disbelief.

“How did I get here?” 

“I found you in an alley.”

I frowned quizzically as the blond boy burst out laughing. 

“Great! Just fucking great!” He said as he bent over to hold his head in his hands. “Out of all the fucking people who could have found me!” 

My frown only deepened as the blond boys laughing was abruptly cut off with a heavy irritated sigh. 

“Just my luck…” He whispered before he pulled the covers away from his bruised body and moved his legs over the edge of the bed.

I stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do, as Jounouchi placed his feet on the floor. He tumbled slightly, his face scrunched in pain, as he reached for the bed to steady himself. “God damn it…” he mumbled as he carefully stood straight up, his hand still supporting his weight.

Without looking at me he walked forward, his gaze locked on the ground in front of him. He didn’t make it far before he stumbled once again; instinctively I reached out and caught him before he hit the floor.

“Easy mutt…” I said as I helped him stand up.

“I don’t need your help Kaiba!” Jounouchi said fiercely as he pushed himself away from me. “You’re the last person I ever want help from!”

I ignored the pain in my heart as I placed my cold mask on. Jounouchi stood in the middle of the room, his bruised legs wobbly. 

“You should be grateful I didn’t leave you on the streets to die like the dog you are.” I said snidely, immediately regretting my words. 

Jounouchi looked at me then, his amber eyes rimmed with tears. “I’d rather you have left me there!” he practically screamed before he attempted to walk past me to get to the door. His attempt was unsuccessful when his beaten legs gave out on him, sending him crashing into me.

“Fuck…” He mumbled into my chest. “Why won’t my God damn legs work…?”

I felt my heart break as his tears soaked my shirt. “You should have left me there… I’d rather be dead than indebted to you!”

I wrapped my arms around the trembling boy, my cold mask momentarily shattering. 

“You need to rest.” I said simply as Jounouchi weakly shook his head against my chest. 

“I don’t want your help Kaiba…” He mumbled. 

“I know.” I said as I easily picked him up and carried him back to the bed. 

He glared up at me as I set him down and once again placed the covers over his bandaged body.

“Asshole…” He said feebly as he resisted closing his eyes once more.

“I know.” I said quietly as the blond boy once again drifted off to sleep. 

“Well that didn’t go very well…” 

I turned around to find Duo standing in the door way with his arms crossed, the ever present grin on his face. 

“No shit.” I said as I turned my attention back to the sleeping boy. 

“I can’t really blame him.” I said almost sadly. “From the very second I met him I have made his life miserable. I can’t even imagine how he feels waking up in my home.”

I could feel Duo walk across the room until he was standing next to me, a sympathetic look on his face. 

We stood together in silence, watching Jounouchi’s even breaths as he slept.

“I’ve never seen him so weak…” I said quietly, as if to myself. “It just doesn’t suit him.”

Duo nodded before clasping his hand on my shoulder. 

“You’ve come a long way since we first met Seto. There is a heart buried in the cold exterior.” 

I snorted at the braided boy’s comment, my eyes still focused on Jounouchi. 

“I’m glad you didn’t push him away when he fell against you.” Duo said softly. “Jounouchi needs some kindness in his life. He has obviously had it rough.”

All I could do was nod as Duo removed his hand from my shoulder.

How could I have pushed him away? I cared about Jounouchi more than I wanted to; it broke my heart to see him like this. If only I had kept my snide comments to myself…

“If you keep showing him the real Seto it will all work out.” Duo said happily, as if reading my thoughts. I looked at him skeptically

“I don’t even know who the real Seto is.” 

Duo smiled at me. “The real Seto is the one with a heart. It’s not healthy to be a cold business man you’ve become accustomed to being. Sure for work it’s okay, but not at home.”

“You need to show Jounouchi that you care. You’re going to have to open your heart to him.”

I laughed slightly at the braided boy’s absurd comment.

“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. You saw how much he hates me, there is no way he would ever accept me as more than his loathed enemy.”

Unfazed by my reaction, Duo continued to smile.

Oh how I hated his smile.

“You will never know until you try. Sure it’s possible that you might get hurt, but it’s better than just giving up without any effort.”

An irritated sigh escaped my lips. “Easy for you to say.” 

Duo laughed. “Rather easy.”

Despite my mood I found myself smiling slightly. 

“You know Duo, sometimes I wish I had never met you.”

The braided boy chuckled before turning to leave. 

“Believe it or not, I hear that a lot.”

I shook my head at him as he started to walk out of the room. 

“Oh, by the way, Mokuba is asleep in his bed! Cya Seto!”

I nodded my goodbye as the violet eyed boy disappeared down the hall.

My fingers gently rubbed my forehead as I took a seat next to the large bed. Silently I watched Jounouchi sleep, a frown plastered on his slumbering face. Part of me wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to let him know that I cared. The other part of me, however, was afraid…

Afraid of rejection.

Afraid of seeing disgust in his honey eyes.

It was just so much easier to keep the ice around my heart. To be cold and unfeeling…

I sighed to myself. Though I didn’t want to admit it, it was far too late. The ice around my heart was melting, slowly but surely. 

I was pulled out of my inner brooding when Jounouchi stirred on the bed. 

I watched quietly as the blond boy once again opened his eyes, his gaze focused on the ceiling. A few moments passed before he turned and looked at me, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

“Still not a dream.” I said softly. 

The blond boy laughed to himself before averting his gaze.

“Dang.” He said simply.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us as I watched him while he watched the ceiling. 

A few more moments passed before another sigh escaped his lips. Once again he turned to look at me, a mixture of emotions playing on his delicate face.

“Look Kaiba…” He started, apparently struggling with his thoughts. “I’m… Uh…” 

Jounouchi paused, gritting his teeth, as if dreading what he was about to say. I calmly watched him, as his honey eyes averted their gaze. 

“I’m sorry alright.” He said abruptly. “I’m sorry for how weak I was back there… You’re probably totally disgusted by how I acted.” He laughed slightly. “More disgusted than you normally are with me anyway.” 

I kept silent as he continued his eyes almost sad. 

“I will be out of your hair as soon as I regain my strength. You won’t have to worry about me sullying your home for much longer.”

I resisted the urge to look away as the blond boy waited patiently for my reply. This conversation was way out of my comfort zone and I was unsure of what to say. 

The Kaiba that Jounouchi loathed wanted to just insult him and let him leave but the ‘real’ Kaiba, as Duo had put it, only wanted to comfort him. 

Jounouchi sighed sadly as he looked away from me, taking my silence as an answer… Confirming my hatred for him. “You can leave now Kaiba.” He said quietly. 

I growled inwardly as Duo’s comments flooded my head.

_‘Jounouchi needs some kindness in his life.’_

_‘If you keep showing him the real Seto it will all work out.’_

“Look… Jounouchi…”

His name felt odd on my lips as the blond boy turned to look at me, his face slightly surprised. 

“I don’t mind you here… You can stay as long as you like.” I held his gaze as I gathered my thoughts.

“I know I haven’t been the nicest person to you but I can see you’ve been through a lot… “

I paused, unsure as I watched the uncertainty in the blond mans eyes. He looked so frail and lost, his bruised and bandaged body unfitting to his fiery personality. My heart ached at the sight. I longed to see Jounouchi well and in good spirits and I knew, regardless of my feelings, if he left here he wouldn’t be safe. Whoever was doing this to him would surely do it again. 

There very thought made my blood boil.

I resisted the urge to shake my head to remove the intruding thoughts. How did this happen? How had he come to mean so much to me? How was it possible that he slithered into my heart without me even knowing? 

I could feel the ice around my heart splintering and cracking as I continued to gaze at the Amber eyed man. How it happened didn’t really matter. The simple fact was that it did. 

He needed to stay here… I wanted him to stay here. 

“I would like you to stay here.” I said, my eyes serious.

His eyes filled with a mixture of uncertainty and what looked to be happiness as he watched me stand up from the chair. 

I turned and headed for the door, barely reaching it before Jounouchi’s soft voice stopped me.

“Kaiba…” He said as I turned to look back at him. 

He smiled slightly at me, his eyes still uncertain, before a muttered ‘Thank You’ left his lips. 

I nodded in reply before exiting the room, gently closing the door behind me. 

I smiled fondly as I pictured his soft smile before heading to my own room for some much needed rest. 

~*~


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 12

~*~

The only sound that could be heard was the gentle tapping of my pen as I intensely watched the clock.

I sighed heavily as another agonizing minute passed before I once again tried to direct my attention to the computer. 

I hadn’t spoken to Jounouchi since last night and I was eager to go home to see if he was still there. A part of me was afraid that he would be gone... And who could blame him? Besides last night I couldn’t recall one time when I had been civil to him.

Though I admit I enjoyed our bantering more than anything, I had never once stopped to consider his feelings.

I groaned inwardly as my eyes returned to the clock on the wall. Only a few more minutes and the sun would be down.

After catching myself shifting my gaze away from the computer a few more times, I decided to give up on work and pack up my things. 

The second the sun had disappeared behind the horizon I quickly walked out of the building and toward my car. Once inside, I turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. 

It wasn’t long before I was driving up my overly long drive way, my bright headlights illuminating the many plants and shrubs that decorated the property. I parked the car quickly before swiftly walking down a short walkway that lead to the front door. I stopped just as my hand reached the doorknob and took a deep breath. 

“It’s a simple process really Seto…. Grab the knob and twist. The door should open right up!” 

I jumped slightly at Duo’s voice, which was currently directly behind me. I was getting a little bit irritated at the braided bastard constantly sneaking up on me. 

I sighed before I turned to glare at the violet eyed boy, who was unfazed as always. Heero was standing quietly next to him, an amused look on face. 

“Evening Seto!” Duo said happily as I rolled my eyes. “Duo… How nice to see you… Again.” 

If it was possible the braided boy’s smile got even wider. “It’s always a pleasure to see your smiling face Seto! I just keep coming back for more!”

I shook my head slightly as I opened the front door and stepped inside, Duo and Heero at my heels. 

I groaned inwardly as I heard Anzu’s laugh echo from one of the many living rooms. “Great, more guests…” I said as I hung up my trench coat on the coat rack near the front door.

“Oh you like it!” Duo said teasingly as I glared in return. 

“Hardly.” I said before walking in the direction of the many voices. 

Duo and Heero followed behind as we continued through the house. Even while walking Duo couldn’t keep his mouth shut, as he was idly chatting with Heero about God knows what. I smiled inwardly. I found it very odd but I never seemed to mind Duo’s presence… Despite his overly chipper attitude, non stop talking, and annoying smile. While he didn’t make me feel at peace like Jounouchi did, he, as well as the other vampires, made me feel like I belonged. Something I had never felt before.

Well… Minus Eric that is. 

My fears were confirmed as we entered one of the larger living rooms in the mansion where I found Yugi and his entire gang scattered about. Anzu and Shizuka were watching Mokuba and Honda play a video game while Yugi, Yami, Otogi and Mai were all sitting on the largest couch talking to Jounouchi. 

I resisted the urge to smile at seeing the blond boy still here as Mokuba and Honda noticed our arrival. 

“Onii-sama!” Mokuba yelled as he dropped the controller and ran in my direction. I let out a small ‘oof’ as the black haired boy crashed into me, a bright smile on his face. “Welcome Home!”

I smiled fondly as I ruffled his hair. “Thanks Mokuba.”

If it was possible Mokuba’s smile got even brighter as he noticed Duo behind me. “Duo!!” He yelled before releasing me and crashing into the braided boy. “Hey squirt!” Duo said cheerfully as Mokuba released him before hugging Heero as well. 

I turned back to the group in the living room, noticing all of them staring quizzically at the two newcomers. 

“Everyone!” Mokuba said as he grabbed Duo’s arm and pulled him toward the others. “This is Duo! And the glarey guy over there is Heero!” 

I chuckled slightly at Mokuba’s description of Heero. It was true that he did glare a lot… 

I watched fondly as Mokuba led Heero and Duo into the group. Duo happily made acquaintances while Heero looked slightly uncomfortable yet unwilling to leave the braided boy’s side. 

The acute burning in my throat brought my attention away from the group to the fact that I had not yet eaten today. I inwardly cursed myself for not feeding before coming home. I had been too eager to see if Jounouchi was still here to even think about it. 

Silently I turned and left the living room, heading away from the tantalizing smell of the humans. I quickly headed upstairs to my office and set my briefcase down on the desk. I turned and walked to the back window, pulling the curtains back with a quick swift movement before gently pushing the glass open.

I stared out the window for a moment, inhaling the crisp air. I would only be gone for a bit and I was sure no one would notice my absence regardless. 

I was about to jump through the window when the sweet smell of Jounouchi filled my lungs, igniting my throat.

I turned around just as the blond haired man peeked his head into the office, his eyes once again uncertain. 

“Kaiba…” He said quietly trailing off as if out of breath. I shook my head as I approached the boy, realizing that he must have followed me up the many flights of stairs to get to my office. 

Gently I grabbed him by his hand and shoulder before leading him to a small sofa that sat against the right wall of the overly large office. 

“You need to take it easy…” I said as I helped him sit down, his legs still wobbly from lack of use over the past few days. 

“Kaiba… Your cold!” He said as I released him once he was safely seated. I shrugged nonchalantly as the blond man shivered slightly. “Why do you have the window open? It’s freezing outside…” 

Quickly I turned and walked across the office, shutting the window gently. “Just getting some fresh air.” I said casually as I once again turned toward Jounouchi. 

“Well you’re going to make yourself sick if you keep leaving the window open.” He said as he wrapped his arms around himself. I snorted amusedly at the blond boy’s comment. If only he knew…

“What do you want Jounouchi?” I said a little too coldly, his name still unfamiliar on my lips. 

The amber eyed boy flinched slightly as he began to fidget nervously. “I… um…” Jounouchi sighed before locking eyes with my own. 

I felt the now familiar ache in my heart as I once again approached him. His amber eyes were filled with a mixture of emotion… uncertainty, anger, sadness and…fear? Gently I sat down next to him as he directed his gaze to the floor. 

“Look Kaiba…” He said sternly. “I don’t want to be indebted to anyone. I don’t want to have to owe you, of all people, anything. Kaiba I have to leave…” I flinched inwardly at his words as he once again looked at me, his face resolved. 

“Jounouchi…” I began. “You can stay here. You won’t owe me anything and there is plenty of room…”

Before I could continue the blond boy cut me off.

“Kaiba… You and Mokuba aren’t safe if I stay here. I can’t put you two in danger.”

I looked at him sternly, my azure eyes piercing. Jounouchi glared back, his amber gaze unflinching.

“You are safe here Jounouchi.” I said, my voice leaving no room for argument. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Mokuba.” 

Jounouchi shook his head, returning his gaze to the floor. “You don’t know what you are up against Kaiba…” He murmured, his hands once again fidgeting. 

“Jounouchi…” I said before gently grabbing his chin and directing his eyes to my own. “This mansion has the most advanced security in this entire city. There is not a squirrel that roams this property without my knowledge. This place is armed and I can easily hire guards to patrol 24-7.”

I continued to hold Jounouchi’s gaze to mine, his eyes still full of doubt. It was obvious he wasn’t telling the whole story; there was something more to this than meets the eye.

“Jounouchi…” I said softly “Who did this to you?” 

Just then Mokuba burst into the room, followed by Yugi and Anzu. 

“Onii-Sama! Jounouchi! We’ve been looking for you!”

I forced myself to smile at Mokuba as I inwardly cursed his horrible timing. 

“Jounouchi got lost trying to find his room” I said as Yugi and Anzu also approached. “Would you guys mind helping him the rest of the way? I’ve got a few things to do in here.”

Mokuba nodded eagerly as he and Yugi helped the blond boy up. I watched silently as they left the room, Jounouchi glancing back at me as he left.

Once the door was shut behind them I promptly returned to the window and jumped out, quietly landing on the hard cement. I dashed to the woods, my throat on fire, and quickly sated my thirst.

Once home I jumped up and back through my office widow, quietly closing it behind me. I felt the hairs bristle on the back of my neck as a familiar smell filled my lungs.

Eric.

“Nice of you to stop by.” I said as I turned toward him, crossing my arms as I did so. 

Eric smiled at me. He was sitting on the sofa where Jounouchi was only moments before, an open book in hand. “Well done Kaiba, you are getting the hang of things! A few days ago you would have had to see me to notice my presence.” 

I glared at the blond haired man as he casually closed the book and returned it to one of the many book shelves scattered throughout the room. “What do you want?” I asked as he once again directed his green gaze toward me. 

“Just checking in.” He said as he stood up. “Its surprising that you are still sticking with deer…”  
I glared at him as he walked past me and reopened the window I had just come from. “With so many delectable beings downstairs I don’t know how you manage.” 

If was possible my eyes narrowed even further. Eric met my gaze easily, as he gingerly stepped up on the window seal. He looked as if he was about to jump out before he paused, as if remembering something. 

“There is one in particular” he said “That smells much more delectable than the rest… The blond boy that’s sleeping down the hall…”

I felt my blood boil at the mention of Jounouchi; I fought to keep my cold mask unflinching. 

Eric looked at me and smiled, his fangs extended. 

“In fact he smelled so wonderful I just had to have a taste… I hope you don’t mind!” 

In an instant the blond vampire was gone, vanished into the night. My vision turned red as realization of what he had said reached my mind. 

“No!” I practically yelled as I rushed out of the office and into Jounouchi’s room, the smell of his fresh blood instantly overwhelming my senses. 

He lay on the bed, his breathing heavy, as blood slowly seeped out of the two fine holes on his neck. 

I stared at him, my body shocked, my vision clouded with rage. 

As if sensing my stress Duo appeared at my side, shutting the door tight behind him. 

“Jounouchi…” I breathed, anger seething through my veins. 

“Seto!” Duo said, placing himself in front of me to gain my attention. “What happened!?”

I looked at the violet eyed boy, the harshness of my gaze making him flinch.

“Eric…” I managed to say as Duo’s eyes widened in surprise. 

I looked past the braided boy to Jounouchi, my anger swelling even further.

“He. Will. Pay.” I said, venom seeping into every word. I turned to go after him as Duo grabbed my arm, halting my movement. 

“Listen Seto” Duo said his eyes deadly serious. “I know your angry but now is not the time to go after Eric.” 

I glared at Duo, unconvinced. “Use your head!” Duo said angrily, noticing my expression. “Not only is he almost 300 years old but he is vastly stronger and more experienced than you! There is no way you can beat him on your own!” 

The braided boy looked away from me and toward Jounouchi, his breathing still heavy. 

“Right now we need to focus on helping Jounouchi. We will deal with Eric later.”

I nodded as I considered his words. He was right. It would be reckless of me to go running after a 300 year old vampire on my own. 

Duo released his grip on me and headed over to the bed to check Jounouchi’s pulse. “Go get me something to clean the wound.” Duo said, taking charge. I nodded absently and left the room, surprised to find Heero leaning against the wall right outside. 

The messy haired boy nodded at me, his eyes unreadable as I walked past him and down the hall toward the nearest bathroom.

As I entered the room and started together supplies I swore silently to myself two things:

One, Jounouchi would never get hurt under my watch again and two, Eric would pay.

~*~


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 13

~*~

The next night I found myself sitting in the familiar chair next to Jounouchi’s bed. I sat silently, the moonlight flowing gently through the window as the blond boy breathed slowly in and out.

He had lost a lot of blood from Eric’s attack and had yet to awaken. Duo had insisted that it wasn’t enough to do any major harm and that he would be fine after some rest. 

Oddly enough the marks on his neck had disappeared shortly after we had gotten then wound cleansed and bandaged. Duo said that it was something that happened to keep the humans unaware of our presence or cause of death if vampires did kill. 

The room was silent except for Jounouchi’s breathing and the occasional laugh from Yugi and the gang who were currently downstairs. Duo had told them that Jounouchi was exhausted from traveling the stairs since he had not yet recovered enough from his previous injuries. While he had also told them that Jounouchi needed his rest that did not deter them from staying and making themselves at home. 

I sighed inwardly at the thought of Yugi and his friends making my home theirs. I guess it was a consequence of having Jounouchi here; a price I’d gladly pay. 

Jounouchi stirred slightly in his sleep, drawing my attention away from my brooding.

He really was truly beautiful, even with numerous bandages and bruised skin. The moonlight caressed the gentle curve of his chin down to his well formed chest. His arms were toned and his skin looked soft as silk. How many years have I marveled at his beauty without even knowing it? All the days that I watched while he slept in class or fought with him just to see the fire in his eyes.

I was blind. 

Maybe I was better off that way. The world was a whole lot simpler with just me and Mokuba. But what’s done is done and I can no longer deny my feelings. 

Jounouchi stirred once again in his sleep, his hand moving from his chest to the bed near where I sat. His palm was face up and his fingers slightly curled as a small snore escaped from his lips. I stared at the delicate appendage, longing to touch it. Would his skin be as soft as it looked? Would he wake suddenly if I touched him?

I watched him sleep a few minutes before I slowly reached my hand toward his extended arm. Gently I touched the palm of his hand, before moving to his wrist. I relished the feeling of his soft flesh beneath my fingers as I let my hand slowly move down his arm. His skin was just as soft as I had imagined, but like everything else he was not warm or cold.

Abruptly Jounouchi shivered, pulling his arm back toward him before shifting in bed. I sat silently, my hand resting on the bed where his arm had been moments before.

My heart ached. Even if I was human the chances of me being able to be with Jounouchi were slim to none. As a vampire… nonexistent. Not that I could even fathom what an actual relationship entailed, nor did I know if a relationship was what I even wanted… 

The truth was I didn’t even know what I wanted. 

Yes I have admitted that I have feelings for Jounouchi, but what does that entail? What did I want to become of them? What did I want from him?

I shook my head as I removed my hand from the bed and once again placed it on my lap. This whole thing was nothing but a headache. Even if I knew what I wanted from him, be it a relationship or whatever, the chances of him ever returning the feelings were impossible. Even as a human all I had done was make his life miserable. And now I was a monster and to him, no different than before. 

My attention was taken away from Jounouchi when a soft knock on the door was heard. I opened the door quietly revealing a nervous Mokuba. 

“Mokuba? What’s wrong?” I asked as I stepped outside of Jounouchi’s bedroom. 

“Onii-Sama, there’s some strange people on the roof!” 

“What!?” I said as I kneeled down to Mokuba’s level and placing my hands on his shoulders. “Are Heero and Duo here?” 

Mokuba nodded “Duo is downstairs but Heero isn’t here.” 

“Okay Mokuba, go downstairs and stay by Duo.” I said as I stood up. “Take everyone to a room without windows and stay there until I come and get you.”

Mokuba nodded and ran back down the hall as I returned to Jounouchi’s room. As gently as I could, I picked the sleeping boy up, his delicate scent filling my lunges. The burning in my throat became apparent as I exited the room and headed down the hall toward the surveillance room.

Once inside I carefully set Jounouchi on the floor since there was a lack of furniture in the room full of many computers and monitors. Quickly I turned to the many screens, my eyes scanning each one. I glared daggers as I counted four unknown people on the property: Two on the roof and two on the ground.

I glanced at Jounouchi. I couldn’t just leave him alone, for all I knew the people were here to get him. I took one last look at the computer screens before I once again picked him up. He was as light as a feather as I quickly ran down the stairs and into the room Mokuba had taken the gang into. 

“Kaiba what’s going on!?” Yugi asked nervously as I gently set Jounouchi down on one of the sofa’s in the room. 

“I don’t know.” I said simply as I looked around the room for Duo, who was nowhere to be seen. “Where is Duo?”

“When I told him about the intruders he went out to investigate. I told him you said to stay with us but he wouldn’t listen!” 

I sighed inwardly as I moved toward the door. “Everyone stay in here until I come back.”

I heard muttered ‘be carefuls’ as I shut the door and locked it behind me.

Without hesitation I headed for the nearest window and jumped out, inhaling the cool night air. 

My heart filled with dread as I was greeted not with the scent of humans but the scent of vampires. I cursed inwardly as I leaped onto the roof. Hopefully Duo was around here somewhere. Who knew how old these monsters were. The odds of me taking on all four of them and living, as much living as I could do, was slim to none. 

I scanned the rooftop, spotting a figure a ways away. He or she looked to be sitting casually not bothering to look in my direction. 

I squared my shoulders as I approached, noticing the second figure standing not to far away from the first. It didn’t take me long to recognize the delicate red hair of Kurama and short spiky demeanor of Hiei as I drew near. The dread quickly turned to anger as I reached them, Hiei looking up at me with a bored expression. 

“What the hell are you guys doing!?” I practically yelled. Hiei raised his eyebrow at me slightly. “What does it look like we are doing?” He asked dryly. I clenched my fists as I looked down as the dark haired man. “Scaring the crap out of my brother and company thinking we have intruders!?”

Hiei shrugged as Kurama stepped in between us. “I’m very sorry Kaiba-san!” He said hastily. “I figured Duo would have told you!”

I glared at the green eyed man. “Told me what? That you guys were going to make my mansion a personal hangout!?” 

Kurama blinked confusedly at me before putting his hands up submissively. “Oh no, you misunderstand!” Just then Duo, followed by Sasuke and Naruto, who I assumed were the other two ‘intruders,’ appeared. “Duo!” I said as the braided boy approached. “What’s going on!?”

Duo placed his hand on the back of his head as he quickly explained.

“Well I told them about how Eric attacked Jounouchi and once I explained Jounouchi’s situation and that you were in love with him, they decided that they would come and help guard during the night. I was going to tell you! I didn’t think they would come tonight!” 

I blinked at him incredulously. “You told them what!?” Duo took a step back as he raised his hands up in surrender. “Well even if the love isn’t returned you still have feelings for him…” He muttered as I fumed.  
Damn that man and his loud mouth.

I sighed loudly as I forced myself to calm down. We still didn’t know who beat up Jounouchi or why. Extra eyes, especially vampire eyes, would be helpful if anyone came to the mansion to find him. Plus if Eric ever decided to attack or show his ugly face around here again, having the others here would put the odds in my favor. 

“You guys are okay fighting against Eric?” I asked, regaining my composure. “He is apart of your pack.” 

Naruto stepped forward, a frown on his face. “He was.” He stated simply. “Anyone who would willingly hurt the love of a vampire he himself created is not welcome in our home.” 

“He has always had a bad vibe to him.” Kurama said sadly. “He has never shown us any wrong nor has he ever been malicious to any of us, but there was always just something about him…We never had any reason to doubt him so we kept him around.” 

Kurama looked at me, his kind eyes shinning. “You on the other hand have a good heart Kaiba, all of us felt it in the short time you were with us.”

I snorted slightly as Duo placed a hand on my shoulder. “For some reason they like you.” He said. “I tried to talk them out of it but they wouldn’t listen!” 

I turned to the braided haired boy, shrugging his hand off. “How’s Heero taking all of this?” I asked, remembering Eric was the one who created him.

Duo sighed as he directed his gaze to the ground. “He’s having a tough time with it. He, unlike the rest of us, was blinded by Eric’s act of kindness.” I frowned as Duo continued. “He will get over it though, now that he has shown his true colors I am sure Heero will see the truth.”

For some reason my heart ached at seeing Duo so sad. He and Heero were inseparable and yet here he was, protecting me while Heero was alone. 

Duo looked up at me, a smile appearing on his lips as he read my expression. “Don’t be getting all soft on me Seto Kaiba.” He said smugly. “There are always tough times in any relationship, but I know in my heart it will work out. Heero and I are soul mates; nothing will ever keep us apart.”

I started at the violet eyed boy, his face full of conviction, for only a moment before I nodded slightly.

I looked at the five vampires before me, nodding my silent thanks. “Try not to scare my brother or the frequent guests in my house.” I said as I turned and headed back inside, Duo at my heels.

Once inside I closed and locked the window behind me before heading to the room where everyone was staying.

The second I opened the door Mokuba crashed into me, hugging my waist. “We were so worried!” He practically sobbed. 

I glared slightly at Duo, who was standing guiltily next to me, before gently patting Mokuba on the head. “Its all right, it was a false alarm. I hired some extra security and I did not know they were going to be here tonight.”

“Extra security?” Mokuba asked, looking up at me with his tear filled eyes. I nodded reassuringly at the raven haired boy. “It’s nothing to worry about Mokuba. It is something I’ve been meaning to do just as a precaution. If you recall someone is trying to sabotage Kaiba Corp.” 

Mokuba nodded, remembering when someone had claimed Kaiba Corp. was disbanding.

I glanced around the room at the relieved faces, stopping only at a stunning pair of amber eyes. 

Jounouchi was awake and sitting up next to Yugi on the sofa I had placed him on earlier, a worried look on his delicate face. 

“Would you mind if we stayed here tonight Kaiba?” Yugi asked, drawing my attention away from the blond haired man. “It’s already getting late…” He continued, trailing off upon receiving my glare.

“Oh please Onii-Sama!” Mokuba pleaded, liking the idea of having company stay. I sighed inwardly before absently waving my hand. “Whatever, I don’t care. Just don’t make a mess.” 

Mokuba cheered before racing past me toward the main living room. “I call first player!” He shouted as he ran down the hall. Honda and Otogi both gave Jounouchi a firm squeeze on the shoulder before following suit, gladly leaving the cramped room. Only Yugi, Yami, Shizuka and Anzu remained, each staying near Jounouchi. 

“Did you want to stay downstairs with us for a bit Jounouchi? Or do you still need some rest?” Yugi asked as Jounouchi tiredly directed his gaze toward him. 

“I’m sorry Yugi but I am a bit tired…” He said as he looked in my direction. I nodded taking the hint. “I’m heading up to the office anyway; I’ll help you to your room.”

Jounouchi nodded gratefully as I walked across the room. He started to stand up with Yugi and Yami’s help, intending to walk, before I easily scooped him up into my arms. 

“Kaiba!” The blond boy yelped. “I can walk!”

A small blush formed on his cheeks as Yugi giggled. I found myself delighting in the rosy color that adorned his face. “It will be much faster this way.” I stated as I promptly walked out of the room toward one of the many staircases. 

I carried him the rest of the way in silence, enjoying the feel of his soft body against mine. The blush lingered on his cheeks even after we reached the bedroom and I gently set him down on the soft mattress. 

“I don’t know why I feel so tired…” He mumbled as I helped him with the covers. I looked at him, slight surprise on my face as I sat in the chair next to his bead. “You don’t remember?” I asked as he looked at me quizzically. “Remember what?”

“The reason why you feel so tired?” I prompted as he continued to look at me with a confused expression. 

“I was talking to you in your office after walking up the stairs…” He said trailing off as if trying to remember. “Yugi and Mokuba helped me to my room and I fell asleep.” 

He furrowed his brow as he stared down at his hands before gently touching the spot where Eric had bit him. After a few moments he shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Must have worn me out more than I thought.”  
I stared at him incredulously. How could he not remember? 

He looked back at me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at my expression. “You should get some rest.” I said, softening my look. 

I would talk to Duo about this later. Maybe it was for the better if he didn’t know what happened to him.

The suspicion never left his eyes as he leaned back in the pillow. “Did you hire extra security for me?” He asked quietly as I took a seat in the familiar chair. 

“Partially.” I said, not wanting to lie to him. “Someone really is trying to sabotage my company and the extra security was needed anyway.”

Jounouchi nodded, seemingly accepting my answer.

“I had heard about that on the news.” He said.

I had all but forgotten about the unsuccessful attempt at disbanding my company. Having Hiei and the others here as security was a far better idea than I had originally thought. 

He looked at me then, his eyes unreadable. He was silent for a moment before a barely audible whisper escaped his lips.

If I didn’t have superior hearing I might have missed it.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

I watched him for a moment, trying to find a good answer. His eyes were unsure, searching, as if he was afraid of what the answer might be. 

“I… I mean don’t get me wrong!” He said, laughing nervously. “I’m not complaining! It’s just a bit… odd.”

I nodded. It was odd. The old Seto Kaiba would never have considered having Jounouchi stay in his home.

“Despite what people think I am not completely heartless…” I started, unsure of how to answer. “When I found you in the alley I couldn’t just leave you there. And I can’t very well let you leave here when you are in obvious danger of having it happen again.”

I hated these kinds of conversations. I have never made it a habit of expressing feelings and it wasn’t something I really knew how to do. Part of me wanted to get up and walk out the door while the other part, the ‘real Seto’ if you will, wanted to do nothing but reassure Jounouchi that he was wanted here. That he didn’t have to worry. 

Jounouchi looked at me with uncertainty still in his amber eyes, his delicate brow furrowed. An uncontrollable wave of emotion circled through me, all my feelings for him crashing down. I had never thought caring for someone this much was even possible…

“Jounouchi I…” I started, his amber eyes engulfing. What was I going to say? What could I say? 

_‘I want you to stay here with me…’_

"Despite what you think I…"

_'You mean more to me than I can even say…'_

“I…”

_'I love you.’_

The word stunned me. So foreign and strange. 

“You?” Jounouchi prompted, drawing me from my inner turmoil. 

“I… I don’t hate you…” I managed lamely.

I directed my gaze to my hands. I was oddly embarrassed at my response as my latest revelation was still swirling in my head.

Just then Jounouchi’s hand appeared on top of my own, his delicate fingers gently resting on my skin. I looked at him, surprised. 

His amber eyes were unlike I’ve ever seen them before. They were filled with happiness and kindness. Never before had I seen his eyes so… glowing; brilliant.

“I don’t hate you either Kaiba.” He said simply, removing his hand. 

I immediately felt the absence of it as a void in my heart. 

I nodded at the blond boy for lack of anything else to do before standing up and heading to the door. 

“Kaiba…” Jounouchi said quietly, stopping my movement. 

I looked back at him, his amber eyes once again uncertain. 

“Will you stay here with me? Just for a little bit?”

How could I deny him when it was the very thing I wanted? 

With out a word I walked back to the bed and took a seat. He looked at me almost shyly before muttering a quiet ‘thanks’. 

Cautiously, he reached over and took one of my hands within his own as he snuggled deeper into the covers. 

“You’re always so cold…” He muttered but made no attempt to separate his hand from mine. 

I didn’t really have a good answer to that so I simply said nothing as I quietly watched him doze off into slumber, unable to stay awake any longer. 

As he slept I gazed at our intertwined hands, my earlier thought circling in my mind. I realized then that I couldn’t be happier than I was right at this moment. I wanted nothing more than to be close to him, to feel his presence. 

I didn’t know what love was. I didn’t know how it was supposed to feel. But If I had to take a guess then this had to be it.

~*~


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 14

~*~

Almost a whole month had passed uneventfully.

I had talked to Duo about Jounouchi’s lack of memory and he told me that vampires have a second type of venom that makes the person forget getting bit or attacked. He also told me that it takes a great deal of training to be able to use it so it is not common amongst younger vampires. 

Jounouchi slowly got better and was now back to his old self. He made quick friends with Duo and later Heero, who had decided to join us once more.

My friendship with Jounouchi has also expanded greatly. There were some nights where we just sat and talked, like a couple of old friends. It was those nights that I enjoyed the most. I found myself oddly eager to learn everything I could about the blond man. 

Due to the lack of action Kurama and the other vampires were often inside, hanging out with the multitude of people who frequently visited my mansion. 

My once quiet home had somehow turned into a zoo. There was hardly a moment when there weren’t people and the only time I find any real quiet was in my office at Kaiba Corp.

Oddly enough, I didn’t mind. 

I didn’t mind the people, even Yami and Yugi. Sure the loudness could get annoying every once in a while but it just didn’t really grate on my nerves as it would have before any of this had happened. 

Mokuba was always happy, now having many people to play with. I think I have heard him laugh more now than I have his entire life. 

For once in my life I have found myself wanting to go home, eager to be around the people who have intruded themselves into my life. No longer does silence greet me when I arrive home and until now, I had never known what I was missing. 

I had just walked in the door, a good two hours later than usual. Some problems at the office had kept me late and I had stopped to feed before dealing with the many humans that I knew would be here. I walked down the hall toward the main living room, the image of Jounouchi invading my mind. 

Jounouchi…

The person responsible for changing my life, for burying the old Seto and bring about an actual person. While I was still mostly aloof, I no longer had a permanent scowl on my face. Instead of immediately throwing the insults I find myself joking along with the others. Instead of simply ignoring people and focusing just on my work I often find myself sitting in whatever room they are in, sometimes taking part in the conversation. 

All because of him.

I smiled as I approached, Mokuba’s laughter ringing in my ears.

As soon as I entered the living room Mokuba, as always, dropped what he was doing and jumped into my arms.

“Onii-Sama!” He said happily, as greetings from the others followed suit. I glanced around the room, noticing with a frown what Mokuba was doing prior to my arrival. 

“Nail polish?” I asked looking at Anzu who had half her nails painted a light pink. She shrugged slightly as I released Mokuba from my embrace. 

“He wanted to do it.” Anzu said nonchalantly. “Who was I to stop him?” 

I resisted the urge to sigh as the raven haired boy returned to his previous task. 

“Next time you want to paint Mokuba, tell me and I will buy you some paper and real paints.” 

Mokuba shrugged, too involved in his work, as Anzu gave me a slightly sympathetic look. 

I continued to look around the room, noticing with some amusement that Heero was currently locked in a chess battle with Kurama, a game that was bound to last for hours. Naruto and Sasuke were absent and oddly enough so was Duo. Hiei was outside as usual, sitting on the roof, and everyone else was no where to be seen. 

I briefly inhaled the air, not smelling Jounouchi anywhere near. A frown appeared on my face as I looked back at Anzu and Mokuba. 

“Where is everyone?”

“They all went to the town fair.” Mokuba said as he looked back at me with a small pout. “I wanted to go but I knew you would say no cuz it’s a school night, so I didn’t even bother asking.”

My heart ached at Jounouchi’s absence as I smiled down at Mokuba. “Your right. Good thing you didn’t ask.”

Mokuba turned a way with a muttered “I knew it…” as I directed my gaze to Heero and Kurama. They wouldn’t have let Jounouchi go out without protection would they?

As if reading my mind Kurama looked up at me, a kind smile on his face.

“Naruto, Sasuke, and Duo went with them, I hope you don’t mind them leaving work early.” 

Relieved, I took a seat at the desk in the corner of the room. “The fair only comes once a year I suppose…” 

“Your guards really need to do more guarding…” Anzu said, glancing back at me. “They aren’t doing any good at the fair, what if someone comes and tries to rob you or whatever right now?”

“I think we’ll manage.” I said dryly as I turned toward the computer to work.

While I was starting to like having the company, Anzu was my least favorite of the bunch.

Her shrill high pitched voice often grated on my nerves and she always seemed to have an opinion on everything. This would be fine if she didn’t insist on sharing it on a constant basis.

Just then the sound of a car coming up the long driveway was heard followed closely by doors opening and closing. Shortly after, the front door opened and the missing members of the group came pouring in. 

I groaned inwardly as their scents filled my lungs, reminding me that there was one other member of the group that I disliked more than Anzu…

Laughter filled the air as I watched Yugi and Yami enter the living room first followed by Otogi, Honda, and Shizuka. Sasuke and Naruto came in afterward, the young blonds face beaming and Sasuke somehow soaking wet. Duo followed right behind them, sending me a sympathetic look as he walked into the room and over to where Heero and Kurama were playing chess.

Jounouchi entered after that, a familiar blond attached to his arm. She was leaning against him, her head on his shoulder. She had on a low cut shirt that showed her perfect bust as her long blond hair flowed out around them. The stench of her perfume filled the air, making my stomach turn. 

Mai.

The one person I truly didn’t like among the group. She was loud, boisterous, breathtakingly beautiful, and worst of all, always touching Jounouchi.

Ever since he has gotten better she has been over more frequently. And every time she is here jealously boils in my blood.

I watched them silently, a deep frown on my face. They had just gotten in the doorway when she stopped to whisper in his ear, her plump breasts rubbing on his arm. He laughed lightly, his shoulders gently rising and falling as he did so. 

I turned my attention away from them and gathered my things. I glanced around quickly noticing everyone focused on Naruto, who was elaborately explaining how a freak ice cream cart accident had ended with Sasuke in the middle of the pond. I took one last glace at Jounouchi before swiftly exiting the room and heading upstairs.

I sighed to myself as I entered my quiet office before placing my briefcase on the large desk. The image of Mai and Jounouchi swirled in my mind as I took a deep breath.

It was for the better. Mai was beautiful, she was warm, she could give him children, and most importantly, she was human. 

I knew in my heart that she was what Jounouchi really needed in life and if I really loved him then I’d have to let him go. 

If only letting go didn’t hurt so much. 

The soft click of my office door opening brought my attention to the blond man who was currently entering the room.

Jounouchi.

“Hey…” He said softly as he closed the door behind him. I nodded in response as I turned toward him. “Have fun at the fair?” I asked casually as he entered the room fully. 

He smiled brightly at me, making my heart skip a beat before excitedly explaining his day. He told me how Sasuke ended up in the pond, how Honda was afraid of heights and threw up while on the ride with Shizuka, he told me about the rides he went on and the games he played, and of course he told me about the food.

I smiled fondly as he finished the list of the things he had to eat. 

Jounouchi has always been someone who enjoyed food. I was actually surprised he didn’t weight 300 pounds with as much as he eats. 

Somehow during the conversation we both ended up sitting. I was in the leather chair behind my desk and he was in one of the two stationed in front of it. 

I listened earnestly as he talked, relishing in his presence and the sound of his voice. Oddly enough he did not mention Mai once throughout the entire conversation.

“Sounds like you had a good time.” I said amusedly. “You even got Mai to go with you; I’ve heard she isn’t one for fairs or gatherings.” 

Jounouchi shrugged. “She wasn’t going to go at first but I guess she changed her mind.” 

“Were you going to go at first?” 

Jounouchi shrugged dismissively. “Not at first but Yugi ended up talking me into it.” 

“I’m sure that’s why Mai changed her mind then…” I said, mostly to myself. 

“Yea she is pretty clingy” Jounouchi said, his voice almost sounding irritated. 

I raised my eyebrow slightly at his tone of voice, a small glimmer of hope igniting in my heart.

Was it possible that Jounouchi didn’t have any feelings for her?

“Anyway! I bought something for you!” 

I looked at him in surprise as he pulled a small box out of his pocket. 

“I saw it and thought you might like it… Since you didn’t get to go with us…”

A small blush formed across his perfect face as he held the plain brown box out to me. 

I gently took it from him, our hands brushing slightly. I started at it, amazed. No one besides Mokuba had ever given a gift to me before... 

I held it carefully, as if it would shatter into a million pieces if I gripped too hard. Jounouchi watched me, amusement clear on his face.

“Jeeze Kaiba! Open it!” He said impatiently. 

I chuckled slightly at Jounouchi’s impatience as I slowly took the lid off the small box. Inside was the most beautiful coin I had ever seen. It was a pure glimmering silver with a detailed dragon etched into the center. It was poised and ready for a battle, its two glimmering sapphire eyes a sharp contrast to the bright metal. With almost shaking hands I flipped the coin over, revealing the kanji symbols for strength, courage, and wisdom. The entire coin was attached to a long chain, which I was gingerly holding as I removed it from the box. 

It was absolutely beautiful… The most wonderful thing anyone has ever given to me.

I directed my gaze away from the coin to Jounouchi, his face beaming. A multitude of emotions swirled through my body as I struggled for words. How could I ever express how much this meant to me? How much _he_ meant to me?

“Thank You.” I said sincerely, my azure eyes meeting his. 

If it was possible his smile got even brighter. “I’m glad you like it.”

He watched me for a moment longer as I stared disbelievingly at his wonderful gift. How could he have even afforded such a thing?

As if reading my mind Jounouchi gently took the coin from my hands. “I have some money saved up.” He said as he walked around behind me. “I didn’t steal it or anything if that’s what you’re thinking.” 

I shook my head as he laughed lightly, the sound making my heart soar. Carefully he brought the necklace around my front and clasped it in the back. I turned to face him, the heaviness of the metal a foreign presence against my skin. 

“It looks really good on you!” Jounouchi said in observation, his hands placed on his hips. I looked down at the coin, gently taking it into my hands. “I love it…” I said softly. 

It was then that I became acutely aware of Jounouchi’s closeness. He was standing before me, a mere foot away, the most gorgeous smile on his face that I had ever seen. 

As always he smelled divine and my body lit up with both thirst and desire. I longed to touch him, to hold his soft body against mine. I wanted to devour him, kiss him until we were both drunk. I wanted to feel his soft skin against my lips.

Without thinking I released the necklace and stood up from my chair, placing my hand on his hip as I did so. His eyes widened in surprise as I pulled him toward me, connecting our bodies. I resisted the urge to groan as I relished the feel of his body against mine, his scent intoxicating. 

“K-Kaiba?” Jounouchi asked cautiously as I wrapped my arms around him. I leaned closer, breathing him in, our faces mere inches apart. Gently, I connected my lips to his. It lasted only a brief moment before I pulled away slightly, our lips nearly touching. 

“Thank you…” I whispered as I kissed him again, softly moving my lips against his. It didn’t take him long to return the favor, relaxing against my embrace. I held him tightly against me, relishing in his touch. Gently I moved my hand upward, entangling it in his soft locks. He moaned against my lips, setting my body on fire. Cautiously I licked his delicate bottom lip, nibbling on it ever so slightly. Without hesitation he opened his mouth, allowing me to fully explore. My mind buzzed as I tasted him, his hand gently touching my neck and hair. 

When we pulled apart our breaths were heavy, hot with desire. Softly, I moved my hand down from his unruly hair to cup his chin. 

He looked up at me, his amber eyes wanting. He was so beautiful. So perfect. Tenderly, I brushed his delicate bangs from his face, wishing this moment could last forever. 

I bent down, my hand still cupping his face, as I connected our lips once more. It was soft and sensitive as I poured my emotions into him, realizing just how much I loved him. The feeling scared me, but at the same time made my heart soar. Never would I have thought that I would feel this way. Never had I thought that I would be holding Jounouchi in my arms. 

We pulled apart just as a soft knock on my office door was heard. I sighed inwardly as I glared at the intrusion, Yugi’s scent filling my lungs. 

“Yes?” I asked, failing to mask the irritation on my voice.

“Sorry Kaiba…” Yugi said nervously through the door. “But have you seen Jounouchi? We are about to play charades and we need him to make our teams even.” 

“Be right there Yugi.” Jounouchi said. “I’ll meet you down there.”

As Yugi left Jounouchi looked at me, his eyes wistful. “I have to go…” He said as he pulled away from me. I nodded, my body immediately missing his closeness. 

“Have fun.” I said as he reached the door and opened it. He smiled back at me, the longing still in his eyes, as he gently closed it behind him. 

~*~


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 15

~*~

I sat silently, the soft buzz of my computer filling the air. Before me, mounds of paperwork were scattered about and several programs on the fore mentioned machine were open and waiting. 

It had been at least an hour since Jounouchi had left and I had yet to get a single ounce of work done. The only thing I could think of was his tantalizing lips on top of mine, our bodies pressed firmly together. It was hard to believe that just a short time ago he was in my arms. Already my body yearned for more. Silently, I grabbed the silver dragon pendant hanging around my neck and held it in my palm, a smile immediately forming on my lips. I was brought out of my brooding as the smell of Mokuba and pizza filled the air. I listened quietly as I heard his small footsteps trudging up the stairs, stopping just in front of my door. 

“Come in Mokuba.” I said after his soft knock was heard. He opened the door carefully, balancing pizza and a can of soda on one arm. “How’d you know it was me?” He asked as he closed the door behind him with his foot. 

“Brotherly intuition.” I said as he approached the desk. He looked at me almost suspiciously as he placed the pizza and soda down in front of me and promptly took a seat. 

“What’s this?” I asked, eyeing the pizza. 

Mokuba smiled, folding his hands on his lap. “Well you got home late from work so I’m sure you haven’t eaten yet! Since we had some extra pizza I figured I’d bring you some.”

“Thank you Mokuba.” I said smiling at the boy. He has always been thoughtful when it came to making sure I got enough to eat. There have been countless nights in the office where he had brought me dinner, afraid that I was too busy and had forgotten – which was usually the case. 

Mokuba stared at me for a moment, noticing the silver coin hanging from my neck. “Oh! That’s beautiful!” He exclaimed, bending over the desk to get a better look. 

I looked down at the necklace, smiling fondly. “Where did you get it?” He asked, his eyes transfixed on the glimmering silver. 

I hesitated. Besides Duo and the other vampires no one knew of my affection for Jounouchi. As much as I trusted Mokuba, the thought of him being disappointed in me or even grossed out made my stomach turn. He has always been my only friend and companion. His opinion of me mattered more than anyone else. 

“Jounouchi gave it to me…” I finally said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Since I couldn’t go to the fair he brought back a souvenir.”

Mokuba smiled brightly, sitting back in his chair. 

“Okay Onii-Sama…” He began. “There are a couple things I would like to talk to you about.”

“Okay…” I said as I eyed him suspiciously, folding my hands on my desk. 

Mokuba mirrored my movements, his eyes turning serious. 

“Onii-Sama, I have known you my entire life. On the outside you have always been harsh and cold. You have never been friendly or giving toward other people. The only one who knew the real Seto was me.”

“Ok, what is your point?” I asked, not liking where this conversation was going.

“My point is that you have changed. Ever since you brought Jounouchi home you have slowly become a different person. I swear that I’ve seen you smile more in the past month than I have in my entire life!”

Mokuba eyed me seriously. I was at a loss for words…what could I say? What did he want me to say? 

“Your pizza is getting cold…” He said abruptly. “Aren’t you going to eat it?” 

I looked at him, confused. “Yes, Mokuba… Where are you going with this?” 

He looked at me then, his face full of conviction. “I want you, my brother who has trusted me over anyone for years, to tell me what brought about this change? Why have you changed so much in such a short amount of time?”

I was at a loss for words. I could hardly believe my little brother was sitting in my office practically interrogating me. He was asking me to trust him with a secret that could potentially ruin our relationship. How could I risk it?  
Mokuba sat back in his chair, noticing my inner turmoil. 

“Onii-Sama…” He started, gaining my attention. “You are my brother. There is nothing that you could tell me that would make me think any different of you.”

I laughed inwardly. Since when had he become so grown up? 

A long drawn out sigh escaped my lips as I settled my gaze on the raven haired boy.

“Is there anything I can say or do to end this conversation?” I asked as a sly smile spread across his lips.

“Nope not a thing!”

I resisted the urge to sigh once again as I directed my gaze to the floor.

“The reason I have changed is… because I have…”

I hesitated, the words still foreign and strange. 

“Fallen in love…”

Mokuba looked at me expectantly, a bright smile spread across his face. “Who is she?”

I felt a small pang in my chest as I looked at his eager face. How would he react when he found out ‘she’ was actually a he?

“Well?” Mokuba asked, leaning forward on his chair.

“She… is not exactly a she…” I said quietly, watching Mokuba’s face. To my surprise his smile got even bigger as he clasped his hands together. “And he is…?”

“Jounouchi.” I said simply. Mokuba clapped excitedly as he jumped off his chair and walked around my desk to hug me. “I was afraid you’d never admit it!” He said, his face partially buried in my coat.

“What?! You knew?!” I asked incredulously, pulling him away from my chest. He gave me a shy smile before heading back to his chair. 

“Brotherly intuition” He said, repeating my earlier statement as he once again sat down. “I am really glad you found someone to love Onii-Sama and I think Jounouchi feels the same way.” 

“You do?” I asked eyes wide in surprise. I knew Jounouchi had to be at least attracted to me; I could see it in his eyes earlier. But my feelings for him were so much more than just lust or desire.

Mokuba smiled at me, motioning to the silver coin hanging from my neck. “Friends don’t give other friends gifts like that… Plus when you aren’t here he isn’t nearly as happy as when you are… and believe it or not he looks at you the same way you do him when he thinks no one is looking.”

I fought forming blush on my face at my obviousness, Mokuba giggling as I did so. 

“On to the next topic!” He said with gusto as I groaned inwardly.

“There’s more?” I groaned.

Mokuba nodded. “Before we begin I would just like to point out that your pizza is probably cold by now… You really should eat it.”

I looked down at the cheese and pepperoni covered slab of bread with disdain. I had never been too fond of pizza and as a vampire it looked and smelled repulsive. “I’m not hungry.” I said as I casually pushed the plate away from me. 

Mokuba glared at me, motioning to the can of unopened soda. “Well then you must at least be thirsty?”

I glanced at the can before looking back suspiciously at Mokuba. “No I’m fine, thanks.”

A heavy sigh left the young boy’s lips before he replaced the glare on his face.

“You have changed Onii-Sama.” He said simply.

“I thought we already covered this?”

Mokuba nodded. “We covered the good changes, now its time that we cover the rest.”

I looked at my brother with a frown on my face. He couldn’t possibly know… could he? 

“First off” Mokuba began his eyes serious. “I have not seen you eat one thing since I came home from my three day vacation. You are never home for dinner and you never pack lunch or breakfast before you leave. I have even checked your bank account for any food purchases!”

“Mokuba…” I started before he abruptly cut me off.

“I’m not done! Another thing I have noticed is that you are always cold. No matter how many sweatshirts you wear or how high I turn up the heat your skin always feels like ice.”

He eyed me seriously as I attempted not to fidget under his scrutinizing gaze. 

“Finally,” he said after a moment of silence. “I have noticed that you avoid daylight like the plague. You haven’t been going to school.You get up and go to work before the sun comes up and you don’t come home until the sun goes down. While you have never been the outdoorsy type you use to at least come home at a decent hour or go to the park with me on weekends. Not to mention the black curtains that are now hanging up in your room, home office, and Kaiba Corp. office…”

I stared at him incredulously, at a loss for words. How could such a young boy be so observant?

“What are you saying Mokuba? That I’m some kind of monster? You really need to control your imagination.” I said, trying to play it off. 

Mokuba glared at me, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Take a bite of the pizza then. Show me that I am wrong.” 

I glanced from the pizza to Mokuba, my stomach turning. 

The raven haired boy frowned, returning my gaze unflinching. “What are you Onii-Sama? I know it sounds crazy but I know you aren’t human, not anymore.”

“Mokuba…” 

“I can understand why you don’t want to tell me. It’s kind of scary having something inhuman for a brother, I’ll admit.”

He paused, gathering his thoughts. “But I know you Onii-Sama. If you were really a monster you wouldn’t try so hard to keep it a secret. You wouldn’t care so much about me or Jounouchi. When I look at you, I see my kind and loving brother. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

“I want you to trust me Onii-Sama.”

I stared silently at my brother… My wonderful little brother. 

I had hoped to keep my secret from him for at least a few years. I had never expected him to catch on in such a short time.

I took a deep breath, gazing into Mokuba’s sincere eyes. 

“I was walking home from work. I had stayed late and let the limo driver go home…” I began, Mokuba listening intently. “On my way I was attacked and changed into a monster.” 

“Like you said Mokuba, I can no longer eat human food. I am now a creature of the night who feeds on blood to survive…”

“Vampire.” Mokuba said, cutting me off.

I nodded, directing my gaze to the ground, ashamed. 

“I knew it!” Mokuba shouted, placing his fist in his palm. “I was debating between werewolf and vampire but I wasn’t sure if werewolves had to avoid daylight or not…” 

I looked at the raven haired boy, my eyes a mixture of surprise and confusion. How can he not care about what I have become?

Smiling, he once again walked around the desk and engulfed me in a hug. “I’m proud of you Onii-Sama.” He said, pulling away from me. “What about Duo and the others? They are vampires too right?” 

I laughed slightly, still not believing his positive attitude.”Yes they are, but Mokuba you can not tell anyone else about this.” The raven haired boy smiled. “You have my word that this will stay between us.” 

I gently patted him on the head as he looked up at me, his eyes shining. “I have a few more questions if you don’t mind?” 

All I could do was nod as a slew of questions followed. We spent a good hour with him asking me about my new life as I tried to answer the best I could.

He seemed rather pleased that I ate deer instead of people and was amazed at my improved sense of smell and hearing. He asked about all the vampire rumors such as garlic and wooden stakes. After a good twenty minutes of pestering he had gotten me to show him my fangs. 

Our conversation was interrupted as Hiei appeared in the room, the ever present frown on his face. 

“Whoa! How did you just appear like that!?” Mokuba asked excitedly. Hiei looked at me, an ‘uh oh’ look on his face. He and the others knew Mokuba wasn’t aware of my newfound life and had agreed to keep it a secret. 

“It’s alright.” I said. “He knows.”

Hiei just nodded as his face resumed its normal static nature. 

“There’s a strange man outside.” Hiei began. “He is claiming to be Jounouchi’s father. 

My eyes instantly narrowed at the mention of the man who could possibly be beating Jounouchi. 

“Where is he?” I asked, standing up. 

“Kurama is outside keeping him company.” 

“I’ll be right there.” I said, turning to Mokuba. Hiei nodded before disappearing quickly through the now open window of my office. 

“Mokuba go downstairs. Make sure you stay near one of the other…” I hesitated, not use to saying it out loud.

“Vampires.” Mokuba finished, a smile plastered on his face.

I nodded, giving him a quick hug before he turned to leave. 

Once he was gone I went to the window and promptly jumped out. 

If Jounouchi’s father thought he was here to take his son back he had another thing coming.

~*~


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 16

~*~

My feet barely made a sound in the soft grass as I approached the spot where Kurama and Hiei were standing with Jounouchi’s proclaimed father. 

He stood between them, his hands nervously fidgeting. He was just about as tall as Jounouchi, his body thin except for the large belly protruding from his gut. His long matted hair might have once been blond, but was now stained a dirty brown. The simple black shirt and old torn up jeans accented the dull amber of his eyes and two days of growth on his chin. 

He frowned heavily at me as I approached, his blood reeking of alcohol and drugs. “Let me see my son!” He practically shouted, squaring his shoulders. “He is my son and I have a right to see him!”

I snorted at his comment as I stopped walking. “What do you want from him?” I asked, my eyes glaring daggers. 

“I just want to talk to him! Is that some sort of a crime!?”

Kurama watched Jounouchi’s father with an almost sympathetic look on his face. The dirty man was shaking, his hands clenched into fists. The ratted boots he wore had holes, exposing his un-socked toes. His eyes held a distinct twinge of fear with in them, whether it was from me or something else I did not know. 

“Maybe you should ask Jounouchi-san and see if he wants to talk to him?” Kurama suggested. I directed my glare to the red haired man. I didn’t want this scum anywhere near Jounouchi.

Kurama shrugged slightly. “Who knows, Jounouchi-san might want to talk to him…” 

I resisted the urge to sigh as I redirected my attention to the unkempt man.

“What do you want to talk to him about?”

“That’s none of your God damn business you money sucking bastard!”

If looks could kill the man before me would be dead. I glanced again at Kurama, who simply shrugged. I sighed inwardly. As much as I didn’t want him around Jounouchi it could yield some valuable information on how or why he was beaten. 

As long as Jounouchi was willing to talk to him that is.

“Is he armed?” I asked as Kurama shook his head.

“No, the only thing he had on him was a pocket knife.” 

I nodded slightly as I turned toward the mansion. “I will ask Jounouchi if he wants to talk to you. If not I’m afraid you will have to leave.” 

“I am not leaving until I talk to my son!” He shouted at my retreating form. I ignored him as I headed to the front door. Once inside I walked down the long hall and into the main living room where most of the gang was still gathered. 

I noticed with some disdain that Mai was still here as I spotted Jounouchi sitting on the far couch with cards in his hand. He looked up at me as I arrived, a small blush forming on his delicate cheeks. 

“Jounouchi” I said. “Can I speak with you a moment?”

The blond man nodded, placing his cards down on the coffee table before standing up.

Once he reached me I led him down the hall toward the front door. 

“Kaiba?” He said, his voice slightly confused. I turned toward him, noticing traces of blush still lingering on his face, before gently placing my hands on his shoulders. 

“There is someone here to see you.” I started as a small bit of fear crept into his eyes. “He is claiming to be your father and he wants to speak with you.”

Jounouchi looked down at the ground, his hands beginning to fidget. “My father…?”

I nodded, lifting his chin up to look into his eyes. 

“If you don’t want to talk to him I will send him away.” I said gently. 

Jounouchi thought for a moment, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

“I will talk to him.” He said as I released his chin. “Are you sure?”

He nodded slightly as I opened the front door and motioned for Hiei and Kurama to bring him in. Once the reached the front door I stepped outside, facing the dirty man. Roughly I grabbed him by the collar, practically lifting him up off his feet to meet my eyes. 

“Jounouchi has agreed to talk to you.” I stated as he nervously fidgeted under my gaze. “The second he wants you to leave you are gone. If you as much as look at him wrong I can guarantee you will thoroughly regret it. Do you understand?” 

I held his gaze until he nodded, his tough guy facade quickly fading. I released him none too gently as he almost stumbled back. An array of cuss words escaped his lips as he fought to regain his balance. 

I opened the front door and allowed him to pass through, I followed closely behind him. Jounouchi was standing a few feet away as his father eagerly approached him.

“Jounouchi! My son!” He practically shouted as he embraced the blond boy in a hug. 

My body stiffened instantly as the tousled man touched Jounouchi. 

Jounouchi took a step back as his father released him, a frown plastered on his face. “What do you want father?” He asked abruptly, his tone of voice anything but friendly. 

“If you wouldn’t mind I would like to talk to you… alone.” Jounouchi’s father said, turning to glare at me. I returned the favor before glancing at Jounouchi. He looked at me for a moment, his amber eyes studying my own. The last thing I wanted to do was leave him alone with this dirty man, and even if Jounouchi wanted it I wouldn’t go far. A small moment of silence passed before Jounouchi broke my gaze.

“No.” He said sternly. “Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Kaiba as well.”

Jounouchi’s father clenched his fist in anger, expelling an irritated breath. “You don’t want to be getting some _stranger_ involved in our family issues do you?”

Jounouchi stood his ground, glancing at me for reassurance. I nodded at him, leaning back against the front door, signaling that I wasn’t about to go anywhere. “You can either talk to me with Kaiba here or you can leave.”

Jounouchi’s father fumed before forcing himself to put a foul smile on his face. “Fine.” He muttered before lowering his voice to a whisper. Little did he know I could easily hear every word. 

“You _have_ to go back! They know where you are. You can’t stay here forever!” 

Jounouchi glared at him, his fists clenching. “I am not going anywhere.”

“You listen to me boy!” Jounouchi’s father said, raising his voice.

“I am your father and you’ll do as I say! Pack your things right this instant, we are leaving!” 

“You lost your rights to me as a father years ago!” Jounouchi said, his anger also rising. “I am _not_ going anywhere.”

Jounouchi’s father let out a weird gurgled noise before taking a couple deep breaths. Once he calmed down he clumsily dropped to his knees in front of his son, his dirty hands gripping Jounouchi’s shirt.

“Please son! You must go back! You have no idea what they will do to me if you don’t!” Jounouchi looked down at his father. He was sobbing now, begging. His fists were almost white as they clenched Jounouchi’s shirt. 

“Please son!” He pleaded. 

“You have always been such a selfish man…” Jounouchi said as his father stopped and looked up at him, his face instantly filling with anger. “Never once have you ever done anything for my sake, only yours.”

“How dare you!” The dirty man screamed as he shot to his feet. “How dare you say that after all I have done for you?”

Jounouchi laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “All you have done for me? My entire life you have done nothing but toss me aside like a piece of trash!” 

Jounouchi’s father fumed, pulling his fist back. “Why you insolent little shit! How dare you talk to your father like that?!” 

Jounouchi closed his eyes in anticipation as his father thrust his fist forward. 

In an instant I was there, stopping the horrid mans movement. I glared daggers into him as I held his hand in place, mere inches from Jounouchi’s face. He stood there, struggling to release himself from my grip as he stared fearfully into my eyes. “Let go of me you asshole!” He screamed as Jounouchi opened his eyes, surprised to find me standing there holding his father’s fist. 

I squeezed the man’s hand as he cried out in agony, my gaze unforgiving.

“Let me go!” He squealed. “I’m sorry! Please let me go!” 

“You’re sorry?” I asked, venom seeping through my voice. I squeezed his hand harder, his bones almost buckling under the pressure. 

Another agonizing scream escaped his lips as Jounouchi placed a soft hand on my shoulder. 

“Kaiba…” he said. “Stop, just let him go.” I looked at Jounouchi in disbelief as I released his father’s hand. 

“You’ll pay for this Jounouchi!” His father said as he backed up toward the front door, cradling his hand. “If they can’t get to you they’ll get to your friends and it won’t be anyone’s fault but your own!” 

With that he fled out the front door and into the night. I watched silently as Hiei and Kurama followed him to make sure he left the property. 

I turned to shut the front door before returning to Jounouchi. His gaze was set firmly on the floor as he idly brushed off the part of his shirt his father had touched.

“Jounouchi…” I said as I reached him. 

He looked up at me, his amber eyes uncertain. “Let me guess… We need to talk?”

I smiled slightly as I nodded. “It would be nice…” 

“Can we go somewhere a bit more private?” He asked quietly. 

“Of course.” I said as I gently took his hand before leading him upstairs. 

I decided to take him to his bedroom since I figured that would be the most comfortable place for him to talk. Once inside he released my hand to sit on the large bed. 

“Where do I even start?” He asked, mostly to himself, as I sat down on the bed next to him. 

“Let’s start with your father.” I said. “Is he the one beating you?”

Jounouchi laughed slightly, shaking his head. “Getting right to the point huh?”

I shrugged, watching his eyes carefully as I waited for an answer. 

After a moment the blond boy sighed heavily, reaching over to grab my hand. I eagerly accepted his offer, gently intertwining our fingers, before directing my gaze back to his delicate face.

“Why are you always so cold?” He asked, trying to change the subject. I gave him a look that stated ‘there is no way your changing the subject’ before he groaned and adverted his gaze.

“My father has hit me yes…” Jounouchi began. “But he isn’t the one who has been beating me.”

“When I was little my mother and father got divorced. Shizuka went with mom and I went with my father.” Jounouchi paused, gathering his thoughts. 

“Ever since they got divorced my father has slowly gone down hill. It started with drinking, and then he got involved in petty theft. He lost his job and started to get into drugs. It wasn’t long after that when he got involved with a gang called Fang.”

My eyes widened slightly in surprise. Fang was a notorious gang that was known for their inhumane acts and cruelty. They thrived on theft and murder. Even the other gangs in the city tended to avoid them. 

“Well Fang helped my father out… giving him money, drugs, women… You name it. He kept piling up the debt, living the life, until one day it all came crashing down.” 

Jounouchi took a deep breath as I squeezed his hand gently. He smiled half heartedly at me before he continued. 

“It was a cold morning when they came knocking on our door. My father had answered it happily, greeting them as if they were old friends. Once they came inside they began arguing, telling my father that they wanted all the money he owed them by the end of the day… or else. Once they left my father spent the day locked in his room or pacing the house. When they returned, he of course still did not have the money. I remember sitting in my room listening to them argue. I remember hearing my dad’s pleas for more time.”

Jounouchi paused, the memory obviously hard to bear. My heart ached to see him upset; my soul yearned to comfort him. Slowly I scooted so my back was resting on the headboard before pulling him to me. I wrapped my arms around him as the back of his head rested on my shoulder. 

Jounouchi let out a small sigh before continuing. 

“All of a sudden there was silence. I remember fearing for my father’s safety. While he had never been the best to me I still loved him and I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. I debated on going out there but I ended up deciding that leaving them unaware of my presence was the best option. I didn’t stay hidden long though, for I heard my father calling me a few minutes later. Cautiously I went into the living room, surprised to find my father and two fang members waiting for me.”

“’See quite a specimen eh?’ My father had said as one of the men came and patted me down. I was so confused and was not prepared for what followed.”

“After the one man had patted me down I sat and watched as my father quietly spoke with them. A few minutes had passed before he shook both their hands eagerly, turning to me with a smile.”

“ _‘Whelp Jounouchi, these fine men will be taking you to your new home now. You are now a servant for Fang and you will do whatever they ask of you. You better not disappoint me boy.’_ “

“And with that, they took me away.”

I felt my heart ache as I held him, my poor Jounouchi. 

“It took a while for the fact that my father sold me to a gang to relieve his debt to sink in. He was never a good father but I had still loved him, I had never once thought that he would do such a thing to me… In fact, today was the first day that I have seen my father since they took me. Never once has he tried to contact me… Selfish bastard.”

We sat in silence as I digested what Jounouchi had said. I couldn’t even imagine the horrors he has been through at the hands of Fang. 

“In the beginning they kept the beatings to a minimum…” Jounouchi murmured, breaking the silence. 

“Since I was still in school and all… God only knows why they let me stay.” Jounouchi chuckled softly. “Most kids hate school, but for me it is my only salvation.”

Silence once again fell upon us as I carefully studied Jounouchi’s tormented face. He was lost in thought as unpleasant memories flew through his mind.

“It’s been two years now…” He said quietly, as if to himself. “For two years I have been a slave, cleaning unspeakable things, taking beatings, forced into people’s beds. It has been nothing short of hell and I never want to go back.”

I could barely comprehend what I was hearing. I both felt anger and sadness at everything the blond man had been through. Never before had I wanted to both protect and avenge someone from the very depths of my soul. Gently, I kissed the back of his head in an attempt to calm both him and myself. “You don’t ever have to go back.” I whispered. “You are safe here.”

He shook his head against my shoulder. “Don’t ever underestimate Fang Kaiba. Technically they own me and they won’t stop until I return. Ace, the leader, is vile and uncaring. He has no humanity and mercilessly kills for fun. Him and _his kind_ … they are all the same, each more evil than the last.” Jounouchi clenched his fists as his voice leaked with venom. I raised my eyebrow quizzically, not failing to notice his emphasis on ‘his kind.’

“What do you mean by his kind?” 

The blond man sighed, shaking his head. 

“Jounouchi…” I said, “You can trust me”

He laughed loudly then, his hair tickling my nose, before he placed his hands over his face.

“Who would have thought I would ever trust Seto Kaiba?” He muttered into his hands. Silently I waited for him to continue. 

Jounouchi sighed heavily before removing his hands and directing his gaze to his lap. “You’re going to think I am crazy…” He said softly. 

“Try me.” 

Jounouchi sighed once again before he begrudgingly spoke. “Ace and some of his followers, they aren’t…” 

“They aren’t what?” I prompted as a bad feeling swirled within my stomach.

“They aren’t… human…” 

I frowned deeply, my fears confirmed. What was more fitting for a gang called Fang than the very inhuman beings that had them. 

“Vampires.” I stated, not waiting for Jounouchi to continue. Abruptly, he swirled around in my lap, his eyes wide with surprise.

“How did you…?” 

For a moment I considered telling Jounouchi the truth, before his angry words popped into my head.

_Him and his kind… they are all the same, each more evil than the last._

No. I couldn’t tell him the truth… at least not now with such a seething hatred for vampires pumping through his veins.

“Let’s just say I’ve had a run in with them before.” I said, trying to be as vague as possible. 

He looked at me quizzically, his honey eyes searching, before turning back around and once again leaning against my chest.

An awkward silence fell upon us for a few moments before Jounouchi once again spoke.

“If you ever want to talk about it… I’m here.”

I found myself smiling warmly at his tentative voice before taking one of his fidgeting hands and intertwining our fingers.

“Ditto” I said simply, resisting the urge to sigh as Jounouchi once again relaxed against me.

“I have never told anyone about Fang… Not even Yugi.” Jounouchi said quietly, as if in observation. “My lips are sealed.” I said quietly.

Another silence fell upon us as my mind swirled with all that I had learned. 

I felt the familiar pang in my heart as I thought of my situation with Jounouchi. The best I could do for him was to protect him; we could never be anything more. I could only imagine the hatred in his eyes if he ever found out what I actually was. 

“Should we head back downstairs?” I asked, eager for my mind to focus on something other than an impossible love.

“If you don’t mind… Id rather stay here a bit longer.” 

I wondered briefly if he meant that he wanted to be alone of if he wanted me to stay with him, before he tightened his grip on my hand and snuggled closer. 

Silently I reveled in Jounouchi’s closeness, as I listened to his relaxed breathing and the faint chatter of the many people downstairs. 

My mind swirled with all that I had learned about Jounouchi’s father and Fang, as I once again vowed to myself that I would protect him… no matter what. 

~*~


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 17

~*~

I awoke with a start, an odd tingling sensation on the back of my neck. I looked around, confused, realizing I was not in my room… or my bed. 

The events of the previous night came flooding back as the tingling on my neck became more intense. I looked quickly toward the window, reveling in the red and orange hues of the sunrise for only a moment before standing up and heading toward the door. 

I cursed quietly as I reached the exit, noticing Jounouchi was no where to be found. Dread filled my stomach as I swiftly left his room and ran into my own, the tingling in my neck ceasing as I entered the comforting darkness.

I could not shake the feeling that something was wrong as I silently paced in my room. Where could Jounouchi have gone? It was very abnormal for him to be up this early. Though I am usually at work by now, Mokuba frequently complains about having to wait hours for Jounouchi to wake.

After a few more minutes of pacing I sighed to myself. It wasn’t doing any good walking around my room… I could at least go get some work done until it turned dark. 

Cautiously I opened my bedroom door. Luckily there weren’t any windows in the hall so I could easily get to my office safely. I crept down the hall my soft foot steps sounding like an elephant in the eerie silence. Once in the room, my thoughts immediately returned to Jounouchi as I walked to the large desk and begrudgingly sat down. My heart ached for all that he had been through as my blood boiled, wanting revenge. I would never let them take him. Whether it was human or vampire I would find a way to keep him safe.

A twinge of sadness crept into my heart as I thought about Jounouchi’s hatred for vampires. Who could blame him? The only thing he has seen was the blood sucking heartless monsters that the world makes them out to be. 

I sighed sadly, my hands motionless on my keyboard as realization struck. Being with Jounouchi was now even more impossible than it was before.

I shook my head firmly, pushing the unwanted thoughts away.

I delved into my work, moving quickly and efficiently. I tried my best to turn my mind off, avoiding thoughts of Jounouchi, as I lost myself within the mounds of paperwork on my desk.

I was brought back to the present when Mokuba busted into the room, turning on the light as he did so.

“Onii-Sama!!!!” He shouted, practically running to where I sat.

“Mokuba what’s wrong?” I asked, my brow furrowing at the panic in his voice. 

“Jounouchi is gone!” He said. “I have searched the entire mansion and he is no where to be found!”

I felt dread in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the clock. It was 12 in the afternoon. I still had several hours before the sun set.

“Onii-Sama! What if he gets beat up again?! He shouldn’t have left alone!”

“I know Mokuba…” I said as I forced myself to calm down. There was nothing I could do right now, until the sun went down I was stuck.

I looked at Mokuba, his face full of worry. 

“Go call Yugi and the others, maybe he is just out shopping or something… Have them look at his usual hangouts.” 

Mokuba nodded, turning to leave.

“Mokuba…” I said, stopping him. “I’m sure even if I tell you to stay home your going to go anyway… Just at least stay with the others. Don’t go out alone.” 

Mokuba gave me a sly grin before running back to hug me. 

“Don’t worry Onii-Sama! I will stay with Yugi and Yami.” I gently patted him on the head before he left. My stomach was turning. I had a strong feeling that Jounouchi wasn’t just out for a stroll… 

I growled slightly as I once again looked at the clock… It was going to be a long day. 

~*~

By the time the sun set I was frantic. Yugi and the others had practically searched the entire city and not one sighting or clue had popped up. 

I growled inwardly as I walked down a large flight of stairs. Where could he have gone? 

My already present frown deepened when I entered the living room to find Duo sitting on the couch, a worried Mokuba hovering over him. It was odd for the braided boy to be here so soon… The sun had only set moments ago and there was no way he could get here from his house that quickly.

“Duo?” I said as I approached, my eyes widening in surprise as I noticed his abnormally red skin. 

“Hey Seto, I’ve got some bad news…”

“What happened to you?” I asked as I reached him, realizing just how bad his skin was. He was almost as red as a lobster as if suffering from severe sun burn. His arms and face had several bubbles and cracks, some red with seeping blood. My brow furrowed with worry as he looked up at me with tired violet eyes. 

“Jounouchi…” He said weakly. 

“What about Jounouchi? Duo… What happened?” 

“About an hour before sunrise Jounouchi left the mansion…” Duo began, taking a deep breath. “I asked him where he was going but he told me he was just taking a walk and wanted to be alone. I followed him of course.”

Duo’s brow furrowed in worry as he gazed at me. “Seto, he walked right into Fang’s main base. I’m not sure why anyone would willingly place himself in their hands… but he did…”

I felt dread in my stomach as my fear was confirmed. I should have known he would have done something so stupid. 

“What happened to you Duo?” I asked as he let out a frustrated sigh. “By the time I realized where he was going the sun had already started to rise. I barely made it to shelter in time.” 

“Duo…” I said, my voice stern. “You shouldn’t have even gone after him knowing how close it was to sunrise.” As much as I wanted to know where Jounouchi was I hated the thought of one of my only friends getting hurt, or possibly even dying, to find out. 

Duo gave me his signature cocky grin as he leaned back in the couch. “I know Seto. But you are my friend and I know how important Jounouchi is to you. I couldn’t just let him leave.” 

“Are you going to be okay Duo?” Mokuba asked. I almost jumped at his voice, nearly forgetting his presence. “Ill be fine squirt.” Duo said, patting him on the head. “I just need a few hours of sleep.” 

“Let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.” I said as Duo weakly nodded. Gently I picked him up, his face scrunching in pain. 

I quickly took him upstairs to one of the guest rooms before I grabbed a spare set of black curtains and hung them up. By the time I was finished Heero was there, his face full of worry.  
Duo smiled weakly up at his lover, gently intertwining their fingers. 

It was not long before the other vampires showed up.

They all listened silently as Duo told them what happened, a frown plastered on each of their pale faces. 

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Duo finished speaking. I looked at each of my fellow vampires, my gut wrenching at the hopeless looks on their faces.

“If it has to do with Fang I’m out.” Hiei said abruptly as Kurama looked at him with a frown.

Hiei returned Kurama’s displeased gaze. 

“You don’t just take things from Fang. We are talking about the most brutal and notorious gang out there. Not only do they have countless human members but plenty of powerful vampire members as well.”

“Hiei…” Kurama muttered before the spiky haired man cut him off.

“I’m sorry Kaiba, but I have dealt with Fang before and it is not a pretty sight. I am not going to risk my life for some human that I don’t even care about.”

With that Hiei disappeared, leaving nothing but an open window in his wake. 

Kurama sighed heavily as he walked to the window Hiei had left from. 

“I’m sorry Kaiba-san, I will talk to him” 

I shook my head, meeting his gaze.

“No, it’s alright. I don’t want anyone to get hurt on my account. This is my problem and I will deal with it.” 

“You can’t take on Fang alone! That’s suicide!” Naruto shouted, his bright blue eyes eerily serious. “We wont let you go alone Kaiba!”

Kurama nodded. “Yes, with a little planning perhaps we can—“

“No.”

The whole group turned to look at Heero, who angrily returned our gazes.

“No.” He repeated. “Going after Fang is asking for death. Obviously none of you understand the full extent of what you intend on doing.”

“Heero…” Duo said, his voice full of surprise. I looked around at my fellow vampires, noticing each of their faces mirroring my own. Apparently no one had ever heard Heero so outspoken about something.

“Like Hiei said, you can’t just steal something, or someone, from Fang. They have many powerful allies and will not rest until their honor is revenged. They are not someone to be messed with. Ever. And I will not see my pack needlessly killed for some human.”

“Heero!” Duo practically squealed. “How can you say something like that? Jounouchi is a friend to all of us, not to mention someone very important to Seto!”

“Look at you Duo, have you not suffered enough for Kaiba? He isn’t even part of our pack; we hold no allegiances to him. Besides its not like Fang came and kidnapped Jounouchi, he is the one who went to them! No Duo, I will not have you die for this. And if you still insist on going then we can no longer be together.”

“Heero…” Duo muttered, shocked.

Heero turned to me, his cerulean eyes blazing. 

“If you value your life Kaiba you will stay out of Fang’s business.” He then in turn looked at each vampire in the room. “And that goes for all of you.” 

Then, without another word, Heero gently picked Duo up off the bed and promptly exited through the window. 

I stood in silence, my mind trying to register what had just happened. I looked at the remaining vampires in the room, seeing their resolve broken. Heero was not the type of man to be afraid of anything… Neither was Hiei for that matter. If Fang could instill such fear upon both of them then it would only be wise to heed Heero’s words.

But I would not abandon Jounouchi. None of the others knew the circumstances, or why he’d return to Fang. If I was going on a suicide mission there was not point in dragging the others down with me.

“Go on home guys.” I said, removing my gaze from the empty bed Duo had just occupied.

“Kaiba…” Naruto said, taking a step forward. “You can’t do this alone… What about Mokuba?”

Mokuba… How could I have forgotten? I couldn’t just leave him…

“No Onii-Sama! You have to go” I turned to look behind me, surprised to find Mokuba there, sitting with his back against the wall. I had completely forgotten he was even in the room.

“Mokuba…” I said as the raven haired boy stood up, his fists clenched.

“You have to rescue Jounouchi Onii-Sama! You can’t just leave him there with that gang!” 

Before I could reply Mokuba ran up and threw his arms around my waist. “I know it’s dangerous…” He murmured, his face stuffed into my shirt. “And I know there’s a possibility that you might not come back…” 

“But I know how important Jounouchi is to you… and to me too! So even though it will be tough, I know you’ll come back! I know you’ll return with Jounouchi!”

I frowned sadly as I gently smoothed the now sobbing boy’s hair. The very thought of leaving him tore at my heart…

What would he do if I didn’t make it back?

As if reading my thoughts Kurama stepped forward. “I know… If it was Hiei in place of Jounouchi, I would go. No matter what… And I’m sure even Heero would go if it was Duo. You are a strong man Kaiba, I have faith that you will make it back.”

In the background Naruto and Sasuke nodded in agreement, though a little less convinced than the red-headed vampire. 

“Until then…” Kurama continued. “We will watch over Mokuba, he will be safe. And rest assured, if anything did happen to you, he would be cared for…” 

I nodded as Mokuba hugged me tighter, his sobs increasing. 

“We should go.” Sasuke stated, heading for the window. Naruto nodded, following suit. 

Kurama held his hand out to Mokuba, a soft smile on his face. “Are you ready Mokuba? We’ve got lots of games you can play at our house.”

Mokuba sobbed, shaking his head against my stomach. Gently I bent down so I was face to face with him before gently brushing the bangs away from his face. 

Unsure of what to say I pulled him into me, wrapping my arms tightly around him. “I love you Mokuba…” I whispered before pulling away. “Be strong, I will be back.” 

Mokuba nodded before wiping the tears off of his face. “I will see you soon Onii-Sama.” He said, before turning and taking Kurama’s hand.

Together he and Kurama walked to the window before Kurama picked him up and put him on his back. “Hold on tight.” Kurama said softly.

Mokuba wrapped his arms around his neck before looking back at me, his eyes still brimming with tears.

“I love you Onii-Sama… Bring Jounouchi back.”

And then they were gone; out of the window and into the night.

“I will…” I whispered to the darkness, uncertainty ringing clear in my voice. 

I clenched my fists tightly before turning and leaving the room. 

I needed to hurry. The longer I spent here the more suffering Jounouchi had to endure.

~*~


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 18

~*~

My feet made no sound as I carefully made my way around the edge of Fang’s main base. It was an old warehouse that used to be used to hold various types of grains and flours. Old and decaying, the large building had several holes and cracks. Old barrels and bags of grain, such as wheat, cornmeal, and flour, where carelessly tossed around the yard. I could hear the rapid heart beat of several rats who watched from beneath the rubble, their fur dusty with grain. 

It was a quiet night, not a sound coming from the nearby street. I could hear faint voices and laughter from the inside of the building as I cautiously hugged the wall. Above me, two or three guards stood watch on the roof, while an occasional guard walked the length of the building. Luckily, the men seemed more interested in chit chatting with each other or complaining about guard duty to really do much guarding… After all, it wasn’t every day you got someone stupid enough to try to break into Fang’s main base. 

I continued to slink down the outside of the building, pausing periodically to avoid the guards, before I reached a large forklift that was crashed into the outside wall. The front of the lift had the forks raised and it looked as if someone had rammed into the building at full speed. Almost all of the front forks were currently inside the wall, while the rest of the lift remained outside. There was a good sized hole right below where the forks had crashed and the area was scattered with bricks and rubble. Cautiously, I squeezed through the opening, realizing it was much tighter than it looked as loose rubble tumbled to the ground. My heart raced as I waited in silence to ensure none of the guards had noticed, before I quickly surveyed my surroundings. 

I was in a small room that seemed unused. Similar to the outside, there were several bags of grain scattered around and several rodents scurrying within them. A broken shelf laden with dust was against the far wall and a couple broken control panels resided on the left. Near the shelf was an equally dusty door, which had a small glass window that peered out into a hallway. 

Silently, I walked toward the door and placed my hand on the knob. I took a deep breath, inhaling the musty scent of the area. After not smelling anything other than grain, rotting wood, and rodents, I cautiously turned the knob and cracked open the door. 

Similar to the rest of the building, the old hallway was pitch black and full of dust. It seemed to stretch on forever and was lined with several doors that all looked exactly the same. I looked both ways before silently stepping out of the room and carefully shutting the door behind me. 

After a moment of deliberation, I turned right and headed toward the faint echoing voices. I moved slowly, listening for any sounds or sudden movement as I occasionally peeked inside the rooms. 

The closer I drew to the voices, the stronger the scent of human blood became. I could smell fresh blood, old spilled blood and the blood currently pulsing through live veins. It was both disgusting and tantalizing at the same time… I could only hope to get Jounouchi and myself out of here as soon as possible. 

I slowed my pace as I reached a ‘T’ in the hallway. A faint light illuminated the area as I crept forward and carefully peered around the corner. I narrowed my eyes at the faint smell of Jounouchi’s blood as I turned and headed toward the light. As I approached I could see that the hallway ended at a large room where I could tell the majority of the voices were located. 

I slowly crept forward, hiding in the shadows, until I reached the end of the hall. I scanned my surroundings, immediately sensing the presence of vampires in addition to the many humans within the room. To my left was another hallway, leading down a different direction than I had come from. There was a large wall connected to the second hallway that blocked off part of the room from the rest. From what I could see, the large room was nothing like the rest of the building, which was dusty and decaying…in fact it was exactly the opposite. It seemed to be some sort of recreation room, which was furnished with many pool tables, dart boards, leather couches, arcade machines, poker tables, televisions and an extremely large bar. There were people scattered all around, some standing guard, some were playing pool or poker, some were shamelessly making out and others were talking casually amongst themselves. 

I scanned the room for Jounouchi, frowning when I did not see him. I could still smell his blood, so he was either previously in here or currently behind the wall where I couldn’t see. My frown deepened as I looked for a way to get around the large wall. There were people everywhere and the only possible cover was two lone arcade games that sat directly in front of me, both of which were currently pushed up against the aforementioned wall. They would hardly offer any coverage… I couldn’t fit behind them or under them. The best I could do is lean up against one and hope no one was paying any attention. 

I shook my head slightly as I scanned the room for another option, noticing another hallway across the room that was not blocked off by the wall. Silently, I looked down the hallway to my left, noticing another ‘T’ further down that lead toward the other side of the room. 

I decided to try to find a way around to the other hallway; it seemed to be the best bet given the high chance of getting caught trudging through the recreation room. I was just about to turn and head down the second corridor when a searing pain swept throughout my body. I fell to the ground with a loud thud, my body involuntarily convulsing. 

“Fuck…” I swore as my body stopped shaking and a loud masculine laugh echoed from behind me.

“Well, well…” The voice said as he walked from behind me to my head. “If it isn’t the great Seto Kaiba.” 

I glared heavily at the man’s large dusty brown boots as I tried in vain to force my body to move. The man laughed loudly before squatting to dangle a strange hand held device in front of my face.

“This little baby was made specifically to incapacitate vampires. It feels much like being electrified and leaves the body unable to move for about an hour, give or take…”

I felt dread rise in the pit of my stomach at the strange mans words before he stood back up and walked around to my side. Without hesitation the man slid his arms underneath my armpits and lifted my limp body up off the ground. Roughly, he dragged me toward the adjoining hallway before leaning me against the wall in a sitting position. 

Now that I was sitting up against the wall I could survey my attacker, who was currently crossing his arms impatiently and staring down the dark hallway. The man before me was obviously a vampire. He had long dark, jet black hair that contrasted greatly with his almost milky white skin. He was short in stature, but his muscles were lean and defined. He wore a look of amusement, but his black, emotionless eyes told another story. An outfit of pure black adorned his lithe frame and a long sword hung at his side. 

Just then a second vampire approached from the hall I had intended to go down.

“Looks like he came alone.” The newcomer stated as he stopped near my attackers side. “A lot dumber than we thought.” 

I did my best to glare daggers at the much more muscular vampire. Unlike his black haired counterpart, he had platinum blond hair that was cut short and spiked at the top. He wore a simple blue tank top that exposed his well muscled arms as his bright blue eyes eyed me with disdain.

Together, they stared at me for moment longer before the more muscular one roughly grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. “Best not keep Ace waiting” he stated, before quickly walking down the long wall that separated the room.

“You’re always so quick and to the point!” The black haired vampire complained. “It couldn’t hurt to play with him a bit before handing him over…” 

The blond vampire grunted in response, obviously not caring about ruining his comrades’ fun. 

The rest of the short walk went in silence as I was carried around the other side of the wall and unceremoniously dropped on the ground. I landed face first on the hard cement, the force of the blow scraping both my upper lip and top right temple. 

“Now, now boys!” I heard an amused voice practically sing. “That is no way to treat our guest!”

I tried in vain to will my body to move only to be infuriated at its unresponsiveness. I glared heavily at the opposite wall, unable to turn my head to see who my two vampire captors were talking to. 

“Kai, please fetch our guest a chair.”

With that, the blond vampire turned and walked to the opposite wall, stopping to pick up a large red lounge chair that rested next to a small side table. I glared at him as he effortlessly brought it to where I was laying before setting it down. Without a word he once again picked me up and placed me in the chair, taking a second to make sure I wouldn’t slide off before resuming his place next to the black haired vampire. 

Once Kai stepped out of my view I was able to take in my surroundings, my eyes immediately spying Jounouchi sitting on the floor next to the man who I assumed was Ace. He had several new bruises on his arms and a broken lip which was still bleeding slightly. He gazed at me with a look of shear anguish as his hands clenched tightly into fists. His pained expression tore at my soul. I could practically hear his mind screaming at me… 

_Why did you come here!?_

_You’ll never escape alive!_

_You’re throwing your life away!_

I tore my gaze away from Jounouchi, guilt and rage pulsing though my veins, as an amused chuckle escaped Ace’s lips. 

The room was about a quarter of the size of the recreation room behind the wall. It seemed to be some sort of throne room, with a large raised platform against the back wall. On top of the platform was Ace, who was currently sitting on a large and elaborately decorated chair. Two vampires stood slightly behind him, one on each side of the chair. The one closest to Jounouchi looked much too innocent to ever be a vampire associated with Fang. He had a pair of cerulean blue eyes and a head of short platinum blond hair. His face was rounded and child like as he looked at me quizzically, his kind eyes not showing a hint of malice or disdain. The other vampire was tall and lean. His one visible eye was dark green, while the other was covered by his thick brown hair. He stood rigidly, with a bored and uncaring expression. He didn’t even glace in my direction as Ace stood up from his throne and took a step toward me. 

Ace himself, who was also a vampire, was about the same height as Duo. He had short light brown hair that was mostly slicked back with a few strands hanging in his face. He had sharp green eyes and a cruel smile which he wore proudly along with a long white trench coat that was similar to mine. An immediate feeling of déjà vu hit me as I looked at the leader of Fang. I had seen him before… but where?

“I see you recognize me… though I doubt you remember from where.” Ace took another step toward me, his amused smile transforming into a scowl. 

“You’ll have to think back, long before you became the great Seto Kaiba… in fact, long before you were even adopted!” 

I could hear the anger seething in his voice as I tried to place his face with someone I knew. I glared at him, studying his features, before suddenly remembering a young boy who had lived at the orphanage with me.  
“Kosuke?” I asked, my glare turning into a confused frown. 

He smiled menacingly at me. “So you do remember! Yes, I was once Kosuke… but he is dead now, because of you.” 

My frown deepened, the confusion obviously showing on my face as Ace practically screamed in fury. He walked forward quickly, jumping down from his pedestal, before grabbing me roughly by the collar of my trench coat.  
“Of course you wouldn’t remember how you wronged me!! Seto Kaiba is too good to remember the little people who he stomped on to gain success!!”

He shook me roughly before forcefully pushing me back into the chair and walking back toward his throne. I glared heavily at his retreating form, feeling unreasonably angry at being manhandled. Halfway back to his platform Ace stopped and took a deep breath. He laughed maniacally before once again turning to face me. 

“But all that has changed now hasn’t it Kaiba? You are now in my world, under my rules. I’m sure a nice trip to the dungeons will give you plenty of time to think about how you ruined my life. But before that…” 

Ace looked behind him toward Jounouchi. “First maybe we should teach our little pet a lesson for running away.”

I snarled loudly, the shear fury in my soul enabling my body to move. Before I could even push myself up off the chair, Kai and the black haired vampire were there, pushing me back down. 

I struggled fruitlessly against them, my blazing glare never leaving Ace. 

“Don’t. You. _Dare_. Touch. Him.” I practically growled as Ace let out a jovial laugh. 

“Just the reaction I was hoping for!” He said, as he once again walked toward me. “It’s almost unbelievable that you’re able to move so soon after you’ve been stunned… Very impressive Kaiba!”

He stopped mere inches away before bending down so his face was even with mine. His bright green eyes were nothing short of evil as they mischievously stared down into my own. 

“Don’t you worry your sweet little head... It’s not Jounouchi that I am concerned about.” He spoke kindly, which was a grave contrast to his menacing eyes. “You will suffer greatly with me Kaiba, I will be sure of it.” 

He stared at me a moment longer, the smile never leaving his face, before he abruptly turned and walked away.

“But first!” He practically shouted as my body once again started to feel numb. 

“Don’t you think it’s about time you told Jounouchi about your little secret?” 

It took all of my willpower to keep my emotionless mask in place as Jounouchi’s gaze went from worried to confused. I kept my mouth shut as Ace called Jounouchi to his side. He complied without any resistance, slowly getting up off the ground and stepping off the platform to Ace’s side.

“You see Jounouchi…” Ace began, placing his arm around the blond man’s shoulder. “Your boy toy here has been keeping something very important from you, and it’s something that I think you should know.” 

“Sai!” Ace continued, getting the black haired vampires attention. “Please fetch something to eat for our guest.” 

I glared daggers into Ace as Sai nodded before abruptly disappearing. A few seconds later, the thin vampire re-appeared with a young woman in his arms. She was completely nude with long dark brown hair and soft brown eyes. She giggled slightly as Sai set her down on the ground, her neck dripping fresh blood from two bite marks on her neck.

“Mika, darling!” Ace began, his voice practically bursting with joy. “Our guest here is famished; please give him something to sate his hunger.” 

“Of course sir.” The woman stated softly before turning and crawling into my lap. 

“Get off me!” I said dangerously as she giggled in return. Fruitlessly I struggled, willing my body to move as she gently wrapped her arms around my neck and seductively leaned forward. “Don’t be so shy! I won’t bite!” I growled furiously as she laughed at her own joke, her bare breasts pressing up against my chest. As she moved closer she tilted her head to the side, bearing her neck, the smell of her fresh blood setting my throat on fire. I tried in vain to pull my eyes away from her succulent flesh as the blood from her bite wounds slowly seeped down her neck. For a mere moment I forgot about everything but her and the burning in my throat that was begging to be calmed. I leaned forward, my fangs appearing, just as a gasp from Jounouchi brought me back to the present. 

“NO!” I practically screamed as my arms once again found life before roughly shoving the girl off my lap. 

I stood up panting as my body trembled in response. My eyes found Jounouchi’s, which were filled with a mixture of anger and betrayal. “Jounouchi…” I said weakly as the blond man looked away with his fists clenched.

Just then my knees buckled and I dropped to the floor, my body struggling against the impending numbness. Ace laughed happily as he motioned for Kai to take me to the dungeons. The muscular vampire once again easily picked me up and flung me over his shoulder, but I hardly noticed. As I was taken from the room, I watched Jounouchi silently, the blond man never once looking in my direction.

The trip to the dungeons went by in a blur. Once we arrived to my designated cell, Kai quickly unlocked it and unceremoniously tossed me onto the cement bed. Without another word he turned and left, leaving me to the darkness. 

I did not move from the crumpled position Kai had left me in, both my body and soul numb. Whether opened or closed all my eyes could see was Jounouchi’s hurt look. I knew he had to find out eventually… but it wasn’t supposed to be like this. 

I felt anger stir in the pit of my stomach as I thought about Ace and the previous events. Hours seemed to pass as I was lost in my thoughts. I racked my brain for the reason for Ace’s hatred, I wallowed in sadness as I thought of Jounouchi, and I worried myself sick as I thought about Mokuba and what he would do if I didn’t make it back. 

After a while I felt the feeling creep back into my limbs and I struggled to sit up against the cold brick wall. It only took a second to observe my surroundings, which consisted of a cement bed and a bucket in the corner to relieve myself. The cell was dimly lit by a single unprotected light bulb dangling from the ceiling.

I sighed heavily at the hopelessness of my situation. I was locked in a tiny cell with no means of escape… and even if I did there was a horde of ruthless vampires to block my way.

Never before had I felt as alone as I did right now… Mokuba was safe with Kurama, Duo and the others were oblivious to my plight, though when I failed to return I was sure they would realize I was caught, and worst of all, Jounouchi hated my guts.

Silently I brought my knees to my chest before reaching into my shirt and pulling out the silver dragon pendant Jounouchi had given me. I sat silently in the darkness with the coin in my hands and wished in vain that this nightmare would end.

~*~


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 19

~*~

Two agonizing days passed before anyone returned to my cell.

During those days I repeatedly racked my brain for reasons as to why Kosuke… or Ace rather, hated me so much. When Mokuba and I were at the orphanage I never talked to anyone. My only concern was finding Mokuba and myself a suitable home where we would be provided for. To my knowledge I had not done anything to Ace... I couldn’t even remember a single conversation between us.

After a while I had given up on thinking about Ace, my brain immediately returning to Jounouchi. The pained expression I had seen before I was pulled out of the room was enough for my mind to desperately try to think of something else. It was to no avail though, as my mind refused to push the thought of the blond man aside.

I was lying down on the hard cement bed studying the various cracks in the ceiling when I first heard the footsteps down the hall. I sat up as they approached, wincing in pain at the severe burning in my throat. I waited anxiously as the steps drew nearer. I could tell the newcomer was a vampire by the stale scent of their blood. 

I had expected Sai or Kai to show up and was surprised to find the innocent looking blond approach my cell. The young vampire stopped in front of my cell door and peered at me intensely. His short blond hair was messy and a fresh bruise adorned his pale right cheek. 

I watched him silently from the bed as he watched me. Unlike the other vampires his demeanor wasn’t hostile or violent. While he held himself in a calm and dignified manner, he had a baby face that would be very hard to contort into a vicious or threatening expression. He really looked like a nice guy rather than a blood sucking member of Fang. 

After a few more moments he spoke. His voice, while pleasant and soft, had a very serious tone. 

“Hello Seto Kaiba” he said. “After all I’ve heard about you it’s good to finally meet you face to face.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard lots of good things” I replied, sarcasm ringing clear in my voice. 

The blond vampire smiled. “Depends on who you hear them from.”

I snorted slightly, crossing my arms. “I’m sure you didn’t come down here for idle chit chat…” I stated bluntly. I was far too hungry and tired to play games with a member of Fang. As nice as the guy looked, he couldn’t really be that kind considering the company he keeps. 

“Indeed I did not” he replied, his cerulean eyes serious. “Ace has a lot of plans for you… and none of them are good. In fact, everyone is under strict orders not to have any contact with you unless asked for by Ace himself.”  
The blond paused, his cerulean eyes meeting my own. I waited only a few moments before breaking the silence.

“So Ace had you come down here because…” I prompted, wanting to get whatever it was he had in store over with.

“He didn’t.” The blond replied. 

I raised an eyebrow.

“I took a great risk coming down here to talk to you Seto Kaiba… Not that I expect that to mean much to you. I have a few questions that I need you to answer.” 

“Okay…” I said, not bothering to keep the suspicious look off of my face. “Ask away.” 

“Why did you come here, into the heart of Fang all by yourself? You obviously didn’t have much of a plan, nor were prepared to deal with the vampires here. You followed Ace’s plan to a T, putting yourself and the people you care about in a very bad situation…” He paused for a minute, letting his words sink in. 

“You’re renown for your intelligence Seto Kaiba… You’re a smart man. If you were going to invade Fang’s base, why not wait and make a good plan? Why just run in blind?”

I frowned deeply at the blond vampires’ question. How could I even answer that? In retrospect, what I did didn’t make any sense at all. I should have made a plan. I should have prepared… But I didn’t. My only thought was of Jounouchi and what he might be going through. The very thought of him spending even a moment longer in this place tore me to pieces. It would have been better to think about my situation and plan out my moves… better for both myself and Jounouchi. Stuck in this stupid cell there was nothing I could do for him. 

I shook my head slightly, pushing those thoughts away. There was nothing I could do about it now. I had to deal with the situation I was in and keep moving forward. I had to get Jounouchi out of here… Somehow.

I broke away from my thoughts to look at the blond vampire. He was waiting patiently for my response as he intently studied my reaction. I didn’t know what he wanted or what angle he was playing at. I didn’t know anything about him, except for the fact that he disobeyed Ace to come down here and talk to me… Assuming that that was even true. Regardless I had to do something, and this man was the only thing I had at the moment. He was obviously different from the other vampires. 

I let out a frustrated sigh before deciding that I would simply tell the truth. I was in a bad situation and I had a feeling the man before me would know if I was lying. While I didn’t want to put Jounouchi in any more jeopardy or give Ace more reason to hurt him due to my feelings for him, it was blatantly obvious that I cared about him. They would hardly believe in anything else. Mentally I cursed myself for letting my emotions rule. There was so many better ways I could of handled this entire thing. 

“I definitely handled this situation wrong…” I admitted, my voice was gruff and unaccustomed to admitting fault or failure. “I should have planned. I should have waited and taken a more technical approach. I should have prepared…”

I met the blond man’s gaze once again, the unspoken words sticking on my tongue. My feelings for Jounouchi had always been a secret… It was oddly hard for me to put them out there to someone who I didn’t even trust.   
“But… when I heard that Jounouchi returned to Fang all my rational thoughts went out the window. All I cared about was getting him back and away from this horrible place… I wanted to keep him safe.” 

The blond vampire nodded at me before responding. “You love him.” It was a statement, not a question. 

I nodded, not looking away from his intense gaze. “I do.” 

Our eyes stayed locked for only a moment more before the blond man nodded once again. He took a small step forward before extending his hand to me through the bars.

“My name is Quatre” he said as I warily got up off the cement bed and accepted his extended hand. I shook it firmly, his grip was much stronger than I had imagined. 

With that he released my hand and turned to leave, swiftly walking back down the hall. I watched him retreat as a confused expression crept onto my face. That had to have been the oddest conversation I have ever had.   
It wasn’t until the next day that Quatre returned to my cell. I was sitting on my bed with my knees to my chest. The burning in my throat was immense. The blond vampire practically appeared in front of the bars to my chamber, the metallic smell of blood immediately filling my nostrils as he did so. I placed my hand to my throat as I stood to face him. 

Quatre then revealed a small cup of blood. It was a small paper coffee cup with a plastic snap on lid. “Here” he said quietly “drink this, it’s not much but it’s all I could get without them noticing.”   
I eyed the cup suspiciously as he held it out to me. My throat was on fire.

Quatre sighed and swirled the liquid within the cup. “It’s not poisoned Kaiba, hurry up and drink it. I don’t have much time.”

My thirst quickly won over my suspicion as I grabbed the cup and popped off the lid. I swallowed the contents in three large gulps, the burning in my throat lessening slightly. It was not nearly enough to sate my thirst but it was certainly better than nothing. 

“Thank you” I said as I returned the cup and the lid to Quatre, who quickly stored it away in his pockets. 

Quatre then looked at me seriously.

“I have brought Jounouchi down here to see you” He said quietly “I need you to answer me honestly, can you handle being around him without killing him? You haven’t really eaten in days.” 

My eyes narrowed as anger began to course through my veins. The very mention of me hurting Jounouchi was infuriating. 

“I would never hurt Jounouchi.” I said sternly. 

Quatre nodded. “Calm down. I know you would never willingly hurt him… but the hungrier you get the more you will start to lose yourself. I won’t take any risks with Jounouchi and I won’t bring him down here if there is a chance of putting him in danger.”

I did not remove my glare. Quatre seemed honestly concerned for Jounouchi’s safety. I was under the impression that all the vampires of Fang were monsters. Jounouchi certainly didn’t express that he had any friends among them. What was with this guy?

“Why do you care about Jounouchi?”

Quatre shook his head. “We can’t have this conversation now… There is no time. If Ace notices Jounouchi missing it will be very bad news for him. Can you or can you not be around him?”

“Ill be fine.” I said “I will not put him in danger.”

Without another word Quatre quickly disappeared down the hallway. A few moments later the sweet scent of Jounouchi filled my lungs as Quatre returned with the blond man in tow. 

I looked almost nervously to Jounouchi, not failing to notice the anger in his eyes as he approached the cell door. 

“You have five minutes” Quatre said as he turned to leave. Jounouchi stopped him, placing his hand on Quatre’s arm. 

“Let me in the cell.” 

Quatre’s eyes widened for an instant before turning into a defiant glare. “No way, he hasn’t eaten enough in days. It’s too risky.”

Jounouchi looked at me, his honey gaze meeting mine. “He won’t hurt me, he is still Kaiba.” 

Quatre shook his head, opening his mouth to protest before Jounouchi abruptly cut him off. “Please Quatre… I might not get a chance to see him again… He won’t hurt me.” 

The blond vampire sighed irritably before turning and angrily taking the cell key out of his pocket. He quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open, a loud creek echoed through the hall as he did so. Jounouchi walked into the cell. 

“Five minutes.” Quatre said as he closed and locked the cell before disappearing down the hall. 

“Jounouchi…” I started once we were alone. I did not get a chance to finish as Jounouchi abruptly punched me in the face. I staggered back, stunned, as I reached my hand up to cup my right cheek. 

“I am so unbelievably pissed at you!” Jounouchi practically yelled. He clenched his fist and struggled to lower his voice. “I told you not to come! That you’d be in danger! How could you just waltz in here alone!? You could die here Kaiba… And there is nothing I can do about it!”

I looked at Jounouchi, his eyes on fire with emotion, brimming with tears. He was so angry… so hurt. His eyes were filled with just as much agony as they were fury. What could I say to him? I know my decision to come here was stupid but there was nothing I could do about it now.

“I’m sorry…” I said lamely as Jounouchi furiously brushed the tears away from his eyes.

“You’re sorry?! You’re sorry for getting yourself killed?! For throwing your life away?! What about Mokuba? Did you even think of him?!” 

I remained silent as he fought to calm himself down. After a few seconds he signed angrily and dropped his clenched fists before directing his gaze to the ground.

“Why Kaiba? Why just throw your life away for a nobody like me...” 

I took a step toward him, my heart tightening in a knot. He meant the world to me. He really truly did. I hated how hopeless things were. Maybe this would be the last time I could see him… 

I watched him silently for a second, my head reeling. I had an unreasonable need to tell him how I felt… to at least be able to explain myself and my actions. My heart felt heavy with realization. I was in way over my head, trapped in an inescapable cell, practically starving and weak. It was now or never. No matter his reaction, at least I will have told him. 

I steeled myself inwardly for rejection and more anger. 

“You are not a nobody, not to me.” I started as I closed the distance between us before gently placing my fingers underneath his chin. He looked up at me then, his honey eyes meeting mine.

“Jounouchi…” I said, hesitating “I know I made a mistake by coming here… I should have planned more or got help. But I would of never have not come for you; I could never just leave you here. Jounouchi… You are important to me… More important than you can ever imagine.” 

“How can I be that important to you Kaiba?” Jounouchi said weakly, trying to avert his gaze. I wouldn’t let him. “I’m nothing, a nobody… People like me don’t belong in your world.”

I narrowed my eyes as I used my free hand to close the gap between us, pulling him against me. A small gasp escaped his lips as our bodies connected and his eyes widened slightly.

“I don’t care about our different worlds” I said almost forcefully. “I don’t care about my status or reputation.”

I moved my hand to cup his cheek, my eyes softening. “Jounouchi… I love you.” 

I moved forward then, connecting our lips. I half expected him to push me away and was surprised when he did the exact opposite. His hands moved from his side to wrap around my waist while his lips moved sensually against mine. I moved my hand from his cheek to intertwine it within his soft golden hair as I pressed him more firmly against me with my other hand. 

He moaned softly as he licked and nibbled at my bottom lip. I opened my mouth and allowed him to fully explore, his tongue gingerly dueling with my own. I inhaled, relishing in his scent as I deepened the kiss, my hardness grinding against his. 

He was unbelievably divine. Heaven on earth. I couldn’t imagine anything else feeling better than having him pressed up against me, his mouth connected to mine. I lost myself within the moment, forgetting all my problems… my thirst, my jail cell, my horribly hopeless situation… All there was, was Jounouchi. 

I moaned into his mouth as his hands explored my back, one of them sneaking up underneath my sweater to touch bare skin. God I wanted him. I slid the hand that was tangled in his hair down his side until it reached his perfectly rounded butt. I gently squeezed it before bringing the other hand to the opposite cheek and using both to pull his hips more into mine. We both moaned at the same time as our manhoods were pressed closer together, our lips only parting for a moment. 

It was then that a loud “a-hem” was heard from the other side of the bars. We both stopped what we were doing and turned our attention to an obviously embarrassed Quatre. Jounouchi’s face immediately flushed a bright pink as he pushed away from me. I reluctantly released him as I turned to face Quatre, my face flushing as the blond vampire tried desperately not to look at my very aroused manhood. 

“I’m sorry Jounouchi…” Quatre said as he unlocked the cell. “Times up. We have to go.” 

Jounouchi nodded, looking back at me when he reached the cell door. His eyes were full of both longing and sadness. He turned and exited the room before Quatre closed and locked the cell.

“Let’s go.” Quatre said as he turned and walked down the hall.

Without another word Jounouchi followed the blond vampire into the darkness. 

~*~


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 20

~*~

I once again found myself sitting with my legs to my chest with the silver dragon coin warm in my palm. It had only been a couple of hours since I had seen Jounouchi and my mind continuously replayed the events in my head. I closed my eyes as I remembered Jounouchi’s soft lips on my own before I sighed loudly and placed my forehead onto my knees.

Jounouchi obviously cared about me… his anger alone was proof enough of that. Regardless, I was still in disbelief that Jounouchi hadn’t pushed me away after I told him how I felt. I found myself frowning as I removed my head from my knees and leaned it back against the hard wall. As much as I only wanted to focus on the good part of Jounouchi’s visit, my mind kept returning to his reaction when he found out I was a vampire. He didn’t even mention it when we talked and all he seemed to care about was how I put my own life in danger by coming here. I had no clue how he felt about it and apart of me wondered if he had forgotten about that little bit of information when he kissed me back. Maybe he wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t been so emotional at the time. 

My thoughts were broken by what sounded like a gate opening and closing down the hall. Shortly after I heard the echo of multiple foot steps heading in my direction. As they got closer, the sweet smell of human blood filled my lungs and ignited my already burning throat. I had a small hope that it was Quatre with some more blood, but that was highly unlikely since whoever was coming obviously didn’t care about being quiet. 

I waited anxiously as the sweet smell got closer. I placed my hand on my throat, the burning almost unbearable, as I found myself oddly irritated at the stale vampire blood that tainted the air. 

I stood up off of the cement bed as my visitors approached, my face immediately contorting into a deep frown as Ace appeared, followed closely by Kai. I glared heavily at them, noticing immediately that Kai had a very naked woman who was apparently unconscious draped over his shoulder. Ace smiled brightly. 

“Seto, its good to see you again! I trust your accommodations have treated you well?”

“I’ve had better” I stated bluntly. 

Ace’s smile didn’t falter. “Yes, I do apologize! Kai here has kindly reminded me that I have forgotten to feed you! What a horrible host I have been!”

Ace smirked “I hope your hungry! I’ve brought you a fresh delicacy who has eaten nothing but fresh strawberries for the past week. Her blood will be sweeter than anything you’ve ever tasted!”

I crossed my arms, the glare never leaving my face as I desperately willed my mind away from the woman’s tantalizing smell. 

Ace continued. “Of course, since you’ve been so famished, you’ll have to be careful not to kill the poor girl…but don’t worry if you do, its only natural for our kind. Fodder is of plenty in this city.”

I felt the familiar rise of anger in the pit of my stomach as I looked in disbelief at Ace. 

“Fodder?! You cant just treat people like that… Who are you to take their lives? They are human beings!” 

Ace smiled. “They are food, nothing more.” He said as he moved forward and unlocked my cell. Kai then wordlessly carried the unconscious girl into my cell and dropped her on the cement bed before turning and exiting the room.

“You are one of us now Seto… A monster! It is only a matter of time before your true colors show and you take that girls life.”

“Never.” I said as the gate in the distance opened and closed again. Ace seemed to ignore the noise, his piercing green eyes staring gleefully into my own. “Take a deep breath Seto, smell her sweet blood. Once you’ve tried it you’ll never be able to go back to deer! Let yourself go, become the monster you were meant to be!”

I clenched my fists. “I will NEVER be like you.”

Ace laughed then, his voice rich and masculine.

“We shall see…” He said, directing his gaze to the left. “Oh! There is someone I’d like you to meet before I depart.” 

Just then a familiar blond vampire appeared from the direction of Ace’s gaze.

“You!” I said venomously as Eric stopped in front of my cell, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Oh I see you two have met!” Ace said, a knowing smile on his face. 

I looked at both of them aghast as the realization came, slamming into me like ton of bricks.

“You… You did this to me! Eric has been working for you all along!” 

“Give the man a prize!” Ace said, clapping his hands. “Yes Seto… I had you turned into a vampire. I had Eric mentor you… befriend you. I even started the rumor that Kaiba Corp. was disbanding!”

“Why?” I asked, as I struggled to control the anger and hatred rising from the pit of my stomach.

“Why what? Why have Eric befriend you? Why change you into a vampire? Why would I spread rumors that could potentially ruin you company?”

Ace paused, looking at me quizzically. 

“Why any of it!” I practically shouted. “I haven’t done anything to you!” 

Ace’s smile and playful tone instantly vanished, the anger and hatred in his eyes easily matching my own.

“Why Seto? WHY? You have single handedly ruined my entire life! It is your fault I turned out the way I have! Gozaburo Kaiba was going to adopt me! ME!” 

Ace walked forward, clenching the bars to my cell so hard his knuckles turned white. 

“He had already met with me! He had already started the paperwork! But before he could complete it, he saw you… You and your pathetic little brother! Before I knew it he had revoked his decision and was taking you two home, leaving me to rot in that horrible orphanage!”

“No one ever adopted me Seto! I was sent from orphanage to orphanage for ten years before I ran away! I was cold and alone! I couldn’t find a job, couldn’t afford school, I could barely afford to eat! I lived in misery on the streets for a year before I was attacked and changed into a vampire… and let me tell you! As I laid on the ground bleeding, my body burning, transforming, the only thought in my mind was how one day I would ruin your life like you did mine!”

Ace seethed, releasing the bars to my cell. His eyes were full of fury as a sadistic smile crept onto his lips.

“So you ask me why? I had you turned into a vampire so you could suffer as I have suffered. I could of left you there to fend for yourself, but no, I made sure Eric stayed by your side to mentor you. Why did I do that? Because I needed more information about you! As far as the public was aware, the only thing you cared about was your company and your brother… but I knew! I knew there had to be something else…” Ace’s smile widened, a sickening look of joy on his face.

“And oh something else there was! Can you even imagine my joy when I discover the great Seto Kaiba had a soft spot for one of my slaves? I was ecstatic!”

Ace laughed, placing his palm on Eric’s shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze before redirecting his attention to me.

“It all fell into place… It was by chance that I had Jounouchi beaten that day and left in that alley. I had expected him to come back like the pathetic dog he is, but when he hadn’t I honestly didn’t even care too much… Useless worm. It wasn’t until Eric had informed me you had taken him under your wing that his usefulness to me was reignited! Once Eric found out your true feelings I knew if I could get Jounouchi to return here that you would follow! To think, all it took was one little threat to his daddy dearest and he came crawling back!”

My fists clenched as I felt my breaths increase. This couldn’t be happening… It was all my fault Jounouchi was in this mess? If I hadn’t kept him in my mansion he could be free? I felt overwhelming anger swarm through my body as I glared menacingly at Ace.

Ace laughed once again, shear delight echoed in his voice. “Oh yes Seto! You will suffer greatly with me! I will not rest until your as miserable and broken as I once was!”

“To start!” He pointed at the girl on the bed behind me “Your humanity! We shall see how noble and human you are in a couple more days without feeding.”

For once I was speechless as Ace turned to leave, stopping before he was out of my sight to look back at me.

“And don’t worry, I’ll tuck Jounouchi in personally tonight, he is in good hands.” 

The very thought of Ace “tucking in” Jounouchi was maddening. I could hardly believe what was happening… how one person could be so cruel. I hated him for what he was doing. Jounouchi should never have to suffer because of me. I swore to myself that I would get Jounouchi out of here… No matter the cost.

“You… Monster!!” I shouted, untamed rage pumping through my blood. “I will kill you!”

“Indeed” Ace said amusedly as he turned to leave. “Enjoy your meal…”

With that, he walked down the hall, followed closely by Eric and Kai.

I screamed in frustrated fury into the darkened halls as the footsteps grew farther away, pure agony seeping through my voice. 

“Calm down…” I muttered to myself as I struggled to control my rage. “The more upset you get the more you’re letting them win…” 

Just then, the women behind me stirred, a soft pained moan escaping her lips.

“Wha…” She mumbled as she pushed herself onto her hands and knees. “Where am I?” 

I turned around slowly to face her while silently cursing my burning throat. Her movement stirred the air, sending her sweet sent cascading into my lungs, igniting my hunger. The woman was very beautiful. She had long flowing blond hair and a pair of hazel eyes. She had a thin frame and a sharp jaw that gave her a serious demeanor. Gingerly she touched her temple, letting out a small cry of pain as she brushed against the large bump that was forming there. 

“What the…” she mumbled as she looked down and noticed her nakedness. “Oh God… This can’t be real…”

She started breathing heavy as she looked around, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She practically screamed as she looked in my direction and noticed me standing there. She quickly jumped off the cement bed and huddled in the corner as she desperately tried to cover her nakedness.

“Who are you! Why am I here?” She sobbed. “Are you one of those monsters? Oh God! I am going to die! Please, please, don’t kill me… I have kids and a husband!” 

“I’m not going to hurt you” I said calmly as I took off my sweater. “Here, take this.” I tossed the black garment toward her and she caught it cautiously. I moved to the opposite corner of the cell and placed my bare back against the metal bars before sliding down to place myself on the floor.

“Your… Your one of them aren’t you?” She sobbed as she held the sweater, not making a move to put it on. “… A vampire… a monster!”

“I am a… vampire yes… but I am not one of them” I said, struggling to keep the venom in my voice under control. “Please, take the sweater. I am not going to hurt you.”

The woman eyed me, the suspicion never leaving her face as she turned away from me to put the sweater on. While the woman was lithe and thin, she was also on the short side. My sweater went down to the middle of her thighs covering her almost as if it was a short dress.

Once she had the garment on she turned back around and once again brought her knees up to her chest. She sobbed.

“How could this be happening?” She cried as she placed her head on her knees. I sat patiently in the opposite corner, trying my best to keep my burning thirst under control. The woman cried for a good twenty minutes before she finally quieted down to periodic sniffles. 

“It was just a normal day…” She started quietly, as if talking to herself. “My sister Anna and I were out for a walk, it was late evening… We walked farther than we had planned and ended up far away from my house by the time it got dark.”

I kept quiet, not wanting to disturb her or upset her more. 

“We were heading home and got attacked… They were so strong and fast… We barely knew what hit us.” She started to sob slightly, making a visible effort to contain herself. “I woke up chained to a wall, in a dark room full of other women. I called out for Anna, who answered from the other side of the room… but then they came. They drugged us… Everything was so fuzzy. They force fed me strawberries, every day... they…they sucked our blood!”   
She let out a shrill cry of agony. “And then one day they came and took Anna!” She started sobbing uncontrollably. “I was so drugged I could barely even lift my hand let alone help her… Oh Anna…”

I watched her sadly as she cried, the familiar rage toward Ace and Fang pumping through my veins. I felt sorry for the woman… I felt her hopelessness, her loneliness, and her fear.

But she was in the same situation as I… A prisoner. There was nothing I could do for her… and more and more it was looking like there was nothing I could do for myself either.

I leaned my head back and sighed heavily as the women cried herself to sleep.

~*~


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 21

~*~

I awoke from my dreams of Jounouchi to a pair of hazel eyes intently staring at me. I groaned as I tried to stretch, my back sore from leaning against the metal bars of the cell all night… or day? I held back a snort. I had no clue what time or day it was.

The woman was still huddled in the corner and visibly flinched when I stood up to stretch my legs. I ignored her before sitting with my back to her on the cement bed. I rubbed my face and ran my fingers through my hair. The burning in my throat was excruciating. As if on queue Quatre practically appeared outside the cell. Wordlessly he pulled out a small paper cup from his pockets and held it out to me through the bars. I walked over to him and grabbed it eagerly before gulping it down without complaint.

“Thanks…” I said as I handed the cup back to him.

He nodded, glancing at the women in the corner of my cell.

“I will bring you as much as I can… You’ll have to hang in there a couple of days. Ace doesn’t have the patience to wait things out for too long. He will tire of waiting eventually… Though I’m afraid of what else he has planned.” 

I nodded and paused a moment before asking one of the many questions I had for the blond vampire. “Why are you helping me?”

Quatre sighed, looking at me almost sympathetically. “That’s a long story… but what it boils down to is that I care about Jounouchi. He is the reason I am helping you.”

“Your looking out for him too right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. It was an obvious question, but it would quell my nerves knowing that Jounouchi wasn’t completely alone in this place.

“I am doing all I can.” He replied.

I nodded once again as Quatre turned to leave. “I have to go, Ill be back when I can.”

And with that he was gone.

I sighed heavily as I looked the empty hallway, fighting to keep the feeling of extreme hopelessness from boiling up inside. 

“So… You’re a prisoner here too?” 

I felt myself jump slightly, startled by the blond woman’s cautious words. I turned to face her and crossed my arms. “No,” I said sarcastically, “I’m on vacation. I like being stuck in tiny cramped dark cells with tiny blond women who are terrified of me.”

The woman frowned at me, her caution turning into anger. “You don’t have to be such an ass.”

I uncrossed my arms and ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry…” I said, the foreign words still new to my tongue. “I don’t mean to be rude. Yes, I am a prisoner here.”

“But your one of them…Why are they imprisoning you?”

I fought down the venom in my voice before I spoke.

“I am not one of them. Yes I am a vampire, but I am not apart of them. I do not feed on humans.”

She looked at me quizzically as I let out a heavy sigh and returned to the cement bed to sit down. 

She watched me, waiting patiently for me to elaborate. Begrudgingly, I continued. “I mainly eat deer or other wild animals.”

“I see…” She said, frowning. “So they are the bad vampires then, and you are the good? Are there more like you?” 

I snorted. “No matter how you look at it, I still take lives. There is no good in that… But compared to the vampires here, I guess you could say that I am good.” 

She nodded, obviously interested in what I was saying. “And? There are more like you?” 

I resisted the urge to scowl at her persistent questions. “Yes there are.” I said simply. She placed her head on her knees, her face full of contemplation. I let my mind wander in the silence, not surprised to find it immediately going back to Jounouchi. I went back through our last meeting, remembering his smell, the way his body felt against mine. Despite everything, my fears and doubts and my hopeless situation, my heart and soul yearned for his closeness. I just wanted him to be near me, safe and sound. 

I laughed inwardly and shook my head. Such an impossible dream. 

“You are missing someone important to you.” The blond woman stated. I turned to look at her, frowning. “I can tell” she said, “no one looks that sad unless they are separated from someone they love.” 

I turned away from her, not bothering to respond. 

“So…” She prompted. I sighed again. “You ask too many questions.”

“Fine.” She said, I could hear her sweater move as she crossed her arms irritably. A few moments of silence passed before she got up off the ground and walked over to the cement bed. She sat down next to me, completely oblivious to my burning throat reacting to her nearness. 

“So you really don’t eat people huh?” She asked. “I guess if vampires actually exist then anything is possible.” 

“No.” I said as I stood up and walked across the room. I turned to face her and leaned my back against the cold metal bars. “I don’t eat people, but don’t forget they put you in here with me for a reason.” I slid down the bars onto the cement floor. 

She looked at me quizzically, her expression slightly hurt from me moving away. 

“They are trying to break me” I continued. “They are keeping me in this cell with out any food… Except for you that is.” The woman gulped slightly trying not to show her fear. I looked her straight in the eye, my face serious. “I wont break, but that doesn’t mean I am not dangerous.” 

She averted her gaze for only a moment before returning It to me. “I believe you” she said “I can tell your not like the others.” 

“My name is Clara.” She said. “Thank you for the sweater… and you know, not eating me.”

I nodded slightly as she looked at me expectantly. When I didn’t respond she huffed slightly in annoyance. “And you are?”

I groaned inwardly. There are very few people who haven’t heard of me and the last thing I wanted was for her to start spreading the word that Seto Kaiba was a blood sucking vampire… If she made it out of here anyway. The thought of giving her a false name crossed my mind briefly, but the idea of keeping up another charade sounded awfully tiresome… I sighed for what felt like the 100th time that day. Might as well just tell the truth.

“Kaiba” I said, wincing as she immediately gasped.

“As in Seto Kaiba??? The CEO of Kaiba Corp.?!” 

I frowned deeply as I responded. “One in the same.”

“I guess now I understand why you really didn’t want to tell me… I can not believe Seto Kaiba is a vampire!” 

The frown did not leave my face as she continued.

“… I mean, have you always been a vampire!? What about sunlight? Do you turn into a bat? Does garlic hurt you? Does your brother know?”

She paused for only a moment to look at my face and immediately stopped speaking and averted her gaze. “Sorry…” she said “too many questions.”

“It goes without saying…” I began “you can’t go around telling people I’m a vampire.” 

She nodded. “Of course… I won’t say anything.” 

Yea… sure you wont. I thought as I ran my fingers through my hair. 

I could practically feel Clara’s intense interest in continuing our conversation as she let a few short moments of silence pass. 

She began again, throwing intrusiveness to the wind.

“So why are you here Kaiba?” 

I looked at her, my face clearly un-amused. She did not give up.

“Come on… Its not like we have anything else to do in here but talk. I wont go telling anyone… Besides” she said, her voice wavering, “we both know I’m probably going to die in here.”

I wanted to tell her that she wouldn’t, but chances are she was right. I could barely see myself getting out of here, let alone her.

I groaned inwardly as she waited with as much patience as she could muster. I really didn’t trust her and on the off chance that she did make it out of here alive I was certain she would go blabbing to whoever would listen. Sure we were stuck in a cell together, but that didn’t mean we had to share our life stories. 

She must of saw my decision not to answer her question on my face since she started speaking before I could answer. “I told you why I was here! And I am not a blabber mouth, I wont say anything… Really!”

I scowled. “Why do you want to know so bad?” I asked. “I don’t even know you and I sure as hell don’t trust you. If you go blabbing about any of this I could lose my company. Telling you anything is not a smart move.” 

She mirrored my scowl. “Can you at least give me the cliff notes version? You seem like a nice guy but for all I know you could be a mass murder and these people could be keeping you locked up for the safety of the rest of the world.”

I snorted, amused. “After all they’ve put you through you’d be a fool to believe that.”

Clara shrugged, putting on her most innocent face. “For all I know you could have been in charge of this entire thing.” I resisted the urge to laugh. “You just don’t give up do you?”

She smiled. “Nope, not really.” 

I sighed once again, trying my best not to look amused by this whole conversation.

“Fine” I said. “Cliff notes version: They took something that is very important to me, so I came here to get it… and got caught.” 

I’m not sure why I told her. It came blurting out of my mouth before I could even really think about it. Way to go Kaiba… I thought. Way to let this tiny girl break down your walls.

Clara looked thoughtful for a moment before a flash of realization appeared on her face.

I winced as she looked at me with certainty. “They took the person you love! The one you were thinking about earlier. I’m so sorry… I hope she is okay…” 

I frowned deeply, not bothering to deny it. I tried in vain to wheel my mind away from Jounouchi and not knowing how he was.

“Me too.” I said simply.

“Tell me about her!” Clara stated. “Is she a vampire too? How did you meet?”

I let out a small laugh. “Not a chance.” 

Clara pouted but did not push the subject. I could tell her mind was reeling though, unwilling to fully let the subject go. Here eyes widened slightly as another thought crossed her mind.

“That blond vampire brought you food this morning… Is he your friend?” 

I shrugged. “I hope so.”

She looked at me, obviously surprised. “You don’t know?”

I shook my head. “I’ve been putting my trust in him, but I had never met him prior to coming here.” 

Before she could ask another question, the sound of a gate opening echoed down the dark hallway. Clara gasped in alarm before moving from the cement bench to once gain huddle in the corner. As soon as they entered the hallway I could tell it was Ace and two others by their smell. I stood up and faced the metal bars, frowning deeply… One of the men with Ace was Quatre. 

After a few moments they came into view with Ace smiling ear to ear. Quatre and one other were following close behind him. I glanced briefly at Quatre, who did not even acknowledge me. His gaze was steady and calm, just as it had been the day I had been caught. The other man was also there that day, however, unlike the previous time, his one green eye looked at me intensely. I met his gaze steadily. 

A load ahem brought my attention over to Ace, who was still smiling brightly. 

“I see you and your new room mate are getting along nicely…” Ace started. I glared at him and crossed my arms, not satisfying him with a response. Ace didn’t falter, continuing on as if having a pleasant everyday conversation. “I mean… with a new room mate one would expect a little bit of strife. Maybe an argument, a disagreement… Something! But no, you two have seemed to hit it off without a hitch.” Ace shrugged. “I guess I am just a good matchmaker!” 

He leaned forward and grabbed the metal bars. His face was full of exquisite glee. “I don’t know about you Kaiba… But I think having a perfect match as a room mate boring beyond belief! What kind of host would I be if I let you sit here and be bored all day hmm?”

If I could frown any deeper I would have. I did not like where this conversation was going. I glanced back at Clara, who seemed equally concerned, before redirecting my gaze to Ace. He watched me carefully, delighted beyond words. He was obviously bursting with anticipation for whatever it was he had planned. I glared at him silently as he waited for a response. When I didn’t answer he once again continued on, apparently not letting anything upset his elated mood.

“You see, as the gracious host that I am I couldn’t fathom the thought of you being bored down here so I thought… “ Ace paused, building anticipation before shouting “Lets mix things up!” Then, as quick as lightning, Ace pulled out a small pistol, aimed it at Clara, and fired. I stood for a moment, stunned, before turning to look at my cell mate. I covered my nose and practically snarled as Clara looked at her bleeding thigh. She stared at the bullet wound, stunned, as Ace let out a howl of jovial laughter. 

“That should do it!” Ace exclaimed. 

I turned back to him, my eyes red with rage. Until this moment I had never even realized the extent to which I could hate a person. There was nothing that Ace would not do to hurt me. I directed my heated gaze toward him in a silent threat. I would kill him. I would make sure no one else had to suffer at his hands. That was a promise. 

Ace met my gaze with glee, laughing as he turned to leave. “Enjoy!”

With that he walked back down the hall the way he had come from with Quatre and the other vampire in tow. As he was leaving Quatre sent an apologetic glance at me before he followed Ace down the hall.

Clara’s fresh blood swirled in my nose and set my throat into a spiral of flame. I turned to look back at her, cursing inwardly, as she shook and trembled at the sight of her own blood. 

“Fuck…” I said through my plugged nose. She was losing lots of blood. I had to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out of her leg or she would surely die. My mind struggled with what to do, the smell of her strawberry scented blood invading my every thought. Never had I been this hungry before.

I snarled loudly an shook my head. I would not let Ace win. I removed the belt from my pants and rushed over to Clara. “Clara…” I said as I kneeled down beside her. She didn’t acknowledge me, her body still in sock from being shot. “Clara!” I said loudly. She jerked her head up to look at me, her face full of fear.

“Listen to me Clara… I need to remove the bullet. This is going to hurt, do you understand?” She nodded, trembling, tears streaming down her face. 

As carefully as I could I reached my index finger into the bullet hole as Clara screamed in pain. I found the bullet quickly and worked to pull it out. I felt my vision get fuzzy as the intoxicating scent of her blood continued to invaded my senses. My fangs appeared and I snarled loudly as Clara screamed, the pain of me pulling out the bullet to much for her to bear. I worked at it a few more seconds before the shiny gold of the bullet revealed itself from within her thigh. I dropped the bullet, a small tinkling sound echoing through the cell as it hit the ground.

I breathed heavily as I looked at Clara, who had a look of utter terror on her face. Her tear streaked eyes were focused on my fangs as she trembled. 

I fought to keep my thoughts straight as I looked down at her bloodied leg. I was so hungry… My throat burned… I wanted nothing more than to sink my fangs into her soft flesh and eat until my stomach exploded. It would be so easy to do and I knew it would be unbelievably satiating. I had never felt so hungry in my entire life… It would only take one quick move and I could stop all the pain I was in.

But I wouldn’t give in.

I took the belt and wrapped it around her thigh above the bullet wound. I tightened it up before grabbing the bottom of my pant leg and ripping a long strip all the way up to my thigh. I then wrapped it around her bleeding leg and tied it tight. 

“That should stop the bleeding…” I breathed before moving to the opposite corner of the cell, the cold metal bars a relief to my burning skin. 

Clara looked at me, stunned, as more tears ran down her cheeks. I plugged my nose and closed my eyes, willing my fangs to recede. It took a few minutes of concentration for them to disappear, and when they did I breathed a small sigh of relief. I leaned my head back against the bars and concentrated on my breathing. The burning in my throat was immense and I needed to get it under control.

I willed my mind to think if something calm and immediately returned to the day I found Jounouchi under the cherry blossom tree, with the sun shining in his golden hair. I breathed in and out, remembering how serene he looked and felt my body relax.

I would gain control, not just for me, but for him too. I had promised myself that I would protect Jounouchi no matter what. A promise, even though I had never spoken it to him, was my word. And I always keep my word. I would get us both out… And Clara too. But most of all I would make Ace pay for all that he has done. 

That too, was a promise.

~*~


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 22

~*~

I was awoken abruptly from my deep sleep from someone shaking my body and calling my name. I opened my eyes, only to shut them again from the intense pain of a migraine. My head was fuzzy and my throat burned. Someone was calling my name but I couldn’t quite bring myself to focus. 

“Ugh…” I mumbled as I leaned forward and placed my head in my hands. 

“Kaiba!” The voice practically shouted.

I opened my eyes abruptly, recognizing the voice. I turned to look to my left in disbelief as my eyes focused on a very worried Duo, who was still shaking my arm through the bars of my cell. 

“Kaiba, God damn it!” He said, agitated as I stared at him, stunned beyond belief. 

“Duo?” I asked tentatively, reaching to touch his hand which was tightly gripped on my shoulder.

Duo gasped, looking at the dry blood on my hand, before looking at Clara, who was sound asleep in the corner of the cell.

“Jesus Christ Kaiba! Did you kill her? Fuck!” 

“What!?” I said, confused, before it registered in my head that Clara did kind of look dead over in the corner, and my bloody hands and clothes would suggest I was the one who did it. “No!” I said, as I struggled to get up off the ground and head over to the sleeping girl. “I didn’t kill her.” 

I made it to where she was lying and shook her gently. “Clara!”

She moaned as her face scrunched in pain. She was sweating an looked awfully pale as she opened her eyes. They were still puffy and red from tears. “Clara!” I said again “Come on, you need to get up.”

“Kaiba…” She mumbled, confused. “Ah! My leg… It hurts.” 

“I know” I said, as I turned to look at Duo, who was currently working on the cell lock with his lock picking kit. “Help is here.” 

Clara groaned as I helped her sit up. She leaned her head back against the wall in a state of half consciousness. Her movement made the scent of her blood waft up and I wrinkled my nose. I frowned, it didn’t smell right, her wound was probably infected. I was worried about her, but at the same time glad that her blood wasn’t setting my body into blood sucking monster mode.

A resounding click echoed in the cell as Duo finally got the door unlocked. He rushed inside and kneeled down next to me and Clara.

He frowned as he looked her over. “What happened to her leg? I think it’s infected.” 

I nodded, mirroring his frown. “Ace decided to starve me and then put live food in my cage. When I didn’t bite he decided to make it more enticing for me.” I gestured to the dry blood on my hands and clothes. “I removed the bullet and tried to stop the bleeding.”

Duo smiled proudly at me. “You never cease to amaze me Seto.” 

“How did you get in here?” I asked. “I wasn’t expecting to see any friendly faces today.” 

Duo frowned. “When you didn’t come back we knew you had been captured. We came as soon as we could.”

“All of you?”

“All but Kurama, he stayed home with Mokuba.”

I nodded, relieved. “We need to get Clara to a hospital.”

Duo nodded. “And we need to get you out of here”

I shook my head. “I am not leaving here without Jounouchi.”

“The others are looking for him…Besides you can barely even stand, let alone run around Fang’s base searching for him.” 

“I can’t just leave him here Duo…” I started “I need to know he is safe.” 

Just then Quatre appeared at the gate to my cell, startling both Duo and myself. Duo reacted in an instant, flying at Quatre at full speed. He let out a yell as he swung his fist to which Quatre seemingly danced away from. Duo didn’t falter, he immediately brought up his left leg in a fierce kick making Quatre jump back to avoid it.

“Wait!” I yelled, as Duo attacked again. Quatre snarled, his face more fierce than I ever thought possible, as he caught duo’s punch, twisted his arm in a hold against his back and pushed him down to the ground with his other arm. 

Duo landed on the hard cement with a loud thump. He squirmed as Quatre easily held him down, his violet eyes full of fight and not the least bit worried about his predicament. 

“Stop!” I yelled, bringing both Quatre and Duo’s attention toward me. Quatre was obviously a talented fighter, but I knew Duo, and he wasn’t anywhere near out of tricks.

“Stop…” I said again, more calmly. “Quatre, meet Duo, Duo, meet Quatre. We are all on the same team here…” They looked at each other suspiciously before Quatre begrudgingly released Duo from the ground. 

“Duo is my friend, he came here to help me escape” I explained, looking at Quatre. I turned to Duo “Quatre has been helping me this whole time, he is a friend of Jounouchi’s.”

Quatre nodded at Duo before turning and coming into the cell and kneeling down to Clara. 

“She’s alive…” He said, surprise clear in his voice. “We heard her screaming as we left… I thought…”

“I had to pull the bullet out.” I said, interrupting him. “She needs a doctor, we need to get her out.”

Quatre nodded, an oddly happy look on his face as he placed his had on my shoulder. “I’m glad Jounouchi found someone like you” he said. “I was worried when I found out you were a vampire, but you have proven yourself to me beyond a doubt.” 

I didn’t get a chance to respond as Quatre stood up abruptly and started shifting through his coat pockets. Duo had moved back into the cell and was watching Quatre suspiciously with his arms crossed.

Quatre removed three med packs full of blood and tossed them to me before turning to Duo. 

“It’s a war upstairs.” He stated. “You and your friends have created complete chaos. We need to move fast.”

I did not waste any time ripping into the bags and gulping down their contents. 

“Take the girl and get her out” Quatre said sternly to Duo. “Kaiba and I will go find Jounouchi.”

“Like hell!” Duo said, taking a step forward.

I finished all three bags and immediately felt a thousand times better. I stood up and got in between Duo and Quatre. 

“Its okay Duo, I trust him. We will find Jounouchi and get him out.”

Duo put his hands on my shoulders and looked me sternly in the eye. “This is about more than just Jounouchi Seto, think about Mokuba! What will happen if you don’t make it out.” 

I don’t know why, but at that moment I realized just what a good friend Duo was. I also realized that before him, I had never really even had a good friend. He was genuinely worried about me and he genuinely cared. Without a word I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him against me, a small gasp of surprise escaped his lips.

“Thank you Duo…” I said. “For everything.” He remained wordless as I held him for a moment longer before releasing him. I left my hands on his shoulders as I continued. “I will get both myself and Jounouchi out of here… I promise.” 

_And my promise is my word._

Duo frowned at me, nodding slightly. I then turned and picked up Clara off the floor and handed her over to Duo. “Please get her out of here and to a hospital.” Duo nodded once more before turning to head out of the cell. He gave me one last stern look before disappearing down the dark hallway.

I turned to Quatre, who had an oddly soft look on his face. “You have some good friends Kaiba.” 

I nodded, hoping that the rest of them were doing okay upstairs. “Let’s go.” 

I followed Quatre out of the cell and down the hallway. We traveled for a minute or so before we stopped underneath a single flickering light bulb. Quatre felt the wall for a second before he found one slightly protruding stone. He pushed it in and the wall opened up revealing a secret passageway. 

I raised my eyebrow before turning to Quatre, realizing something I had yet to think about. “This place is an old warehouse right? Why on earth does it have a dungeon and secret passageways?” Quatre began to go through the small opening, explaining as he did so. I found that I was way too tall and had to almost bend in half to fit through the doorway. 

“Eons ago this place used to be a castle. When modern times came, they knocked the castle walls down and built this warehouse right on top of it. When Fang decided to move in they discovered the dungeon below and built entrance points and outfitted it with minimal electricity.”

“I bet they were ecstatic to find a dungeon here” I observed, “practically the perfect place for them.”

Quatre nodded. “Ace was very happy.” 

“Does everyone know about these passages?”

“No, to my knowledge its only myself, Trowa, and a couple others.”

“Trowa?”

“Yes, he was the other vampire with me and Ace this morning.” 

We continued down the passage in silence, making a couple turns at various intersections. As we continued, sounds of fighting and yelling drew near. We walked a few more feet before the tunnel widened and exited into what appeared to be an old office of some sort.

As soon as I entered the room my nose was assaulted with a familiar smell. I snarled as I directed my gaze to its source.

“Eric!”

Quatre stood still next to me, his demeanor immediately turning stiff and serious. Eric smiled, ignoring me as he followed Quatre’s gaze to the man he currently had tied up at his feet. Trowa looked apologetically at Quatre, his normally emotionless eye puffed and bruised. He was beaten and bloody and bound with a thick brown rope. Eric smiled gleefully and roughly placed his boot on the captured mans back. Trowa barely even grunted, his gaze focused on the blond vampire next to me. 

I looked up at Quatre, immediately taken back at the fury I saw in his face. He looked steadily at Eric, venom seeping in his voice as he spoke. 

“Release him.”

Eric continued to smile, putting more pressure onto Trowa’s back. He met Quatre’s gaze easily.

“I had a feeling you had been helping him…” Eric began, ignoring Quatre’s command. “I tried to tell Ace but he would not hear it. His precious Quatre would never betray him like that.” Eric ground his heel into Trowa’s back, causing the brown haired man to cry out slightly. “But I have eyes. I see how friendly you are with Jounouchi. I knew you sympathized with him… It did not take me long to find out you were feeding Kaiba behind Ace’s back.”

Quatre stood stoic and silent as Eric let out a hearty laugh. “You were always his favorite! Imagine his surprise when I bring you to him, bound as a traitor of Fang!” Eric then took a gun out the holster on his side and pointed it at Trowa’s head. The anger radiating from Quatre increased tenfold. I could feel the pressure of his power bearing down on me; I never imagined his kind soft face could look so fierce. It was terrifying.

“I’ll ask you once more Eric, release him.”

Eric looked in disbelief at Quatre, his smile twisted and vile.

“Release him!? That’s not how this is going to work Quatre, not this time.” The twisted smile on his face formed into a snarl. “After I kill this rat I am going to beat the shit out of you before dragging you and your pathetic CEO friend to Ace! I will rise to be his second in command and you will be tortured in the dungeons for the rest of your pathetic existence!”

Eric fumed as I looked at Quatre in surprise. I could not believe he was Ace’s second in command…

Quatre didn’t speak as two small daggers appeared from within the sleeves of his coat. In an instant he had disappeared from my side before reappearing right in front of Eric, his weapons already swinging. Eric, while obviously expecting Quatre’s attack, was taken back by its strength, his own dagger clinging sharply against Quatre’s.

Trowa took advantage of Eric’s falter and rolled himself to the right only moments before Eric pulled the trigger of the gun. Quatre screamed in fury as Trowa cried out in pain, the bullet landing firmly into the brown haired mans shoulder. Quatre thrust both daggers at Eric, pushing him back with a surprised yelp before turning and expertly slicing the brown rope binding Trowa. Quatre glanced at me sternly for a mere second before renewing his attacks against Eric. I took the hint and ran hurriedly toward Trowa before picking him up as gently as I could and moving him out of the line of fire.

Eric stumbled at the speed of Quatre’s blade strikes, parrying with both is gun and his dagger. As soon as Trowa was out of the way Quatre seemingly doubled his strength, striking so quickly that his arms were nothing but blurs. Eric struggled to keep up, screaming in fury as lifted his right knee in an attempt to break up Quatre’s flurry of attacks. Quatre expertly avoided the knee, twisting his body like a snake while taking advantage of the opening and sending one of his daggers slicing through Eric’s right bicep. Eric dropped the gun, screaming in rage as blood spurted out of the deep cut Quatre had just made. Quatre didn’t even pause as he continued his twisting movement, flipping his body completely around before using the momentum to turn and throw another deadly slice toward Eric. Eric parried with his uninjured arm, grunting against the strength of the attack. Quatre snarled, his eyes deadly, as he brought his other hand around to thrust his blade in Eric’s shoulder. Eric saw the blade coming before quickly pushing Quatre away with all his might and rolling forward to avoid the hit. Like a dancer, Quatre followed his movements, flinging more attacks at him quicker than they eye could blink. Quatre pushed him back; his speed now above Eric’s stamina as small attacks broke through, placing lines of dripping red on his face, arms, and torso. 

I could see the fear in Eric’s eyes as he slowly realized that he was outmatched. Desperate, he parried and shoved his shoulder into Quatre, sending the blond vampire staggering back. Without pause Eric then dashed toward his fallen gun, sliding on the ground for it as a baseball player would home base. He landed on the ground before he grabbed the gun with his uninjured hand and turned to face Quatre in one swift movement.

“You will never hit me with that.” Quatre stated bluntly, fierce anger still plastered on his face.

Eric snarled, his back against the cold ground as he pointed the gun up at Quatre. “You think you have won but you haven’t! I will take everything from you, including your life! I am almost five hundred years old! There is no reason I shouldn’t be able to snap you like the pathetic twig you are!” Without even a pause Eric then turned the gun toward Trowa and myself before firing several times. The sound painfully echoed in my eardrums as I instinctively moved to cover Trowa and braced myself for the painful impact. 

Not a second later an angry howl left Eric’s lips. I turned to face him and was surprised to find Quatre standing in front of us. He was silent and still radiating power, his furious gaze steadily locked on Eric. I watched silently as Quatre held out his closed hand and opened it, revealing four tiny gold bullets. Without a word he let them fall, their tiny plinking sounds breaking the silence of the room as they hit the ground. 

In an act of desperation Eric wildly fired the remaining bullets in the gun. When the gun clicked empty Quatre once again dropped the bullets on to the floor before taking a step toward the frantic blond vampire.

Realizing the hopelessness of his situation, Eric threw the gun to the side before holding his hands up in surrender.

“You win! Please, I will leave Fang and you will never see me again!” 

Quatre continued moving forward until he was only one step away; completely ignoring the blond mans pleas. He looked down at Eric, his face full of fury. 

“You may be almost five hundred years old, but I am older by far. You are weak. You are a coward.” 

“Please…” Eric pleaded, his gaze unwillingly locked with Quatre’s. 

“You thrive on controlling those weaker than you.” Quatre continued “But the second you are outmatched you turn into a fumbling baby. I know how you work. If I let you go here you would just be back later, anxious to get revenge against the humility you experienced against me.” 

“I won’t be back! You will never see me again!”

Quatre ignored his words as he continued. “If you were just a power hungry coward I could forgive you… Even if you came back for me later you still would not win. No matter how good you get I will always be better. I would let you walk away.” If it was even possible Quatre’s gaze grew more deadly. “But you took it too far. You hurt someone very dear to me, and that I can never forgive.” Without another word Quatre took his two daggers and with two quick motions, severed Eric’s head. I watched, stunned, as it fell from Eric’s body and hit the ground with a sickening splat. Blood pored from both ends of the wound as Quatre removed a lighter from his coat and unceremoniously lit the remains on fire.

I watched silently as Quatre turned around, all traces of malice gone. He rushed over to where we sat and kneeled down at Trowa’s side. Gently, he took Trowa’s hand and squeezed. “Are you okay?” Trowa nodded in response, his one showing eye still apologetic. “Nothing I can’t handle” he said. “I am sorry… He caught me off guard.” Quatre shook his head gently, his gaze full of love, as he softly placed a kiss on the other man’s lips.

Quatre then turned to me, his eyes uncertain as he waited for me to react. When I didn’t say anything he turned to look back at Trowa before he began to speak. “I am sorry you had to see that Kaiba…” he began. “But I couldn’t forgive Eric for hurting Trowa.” 

I looked over to the burning corpse and resisted the urge to cover my nose at the smell that was quickly filling the room. I did not care for Eric at all and I was glad he was gone. I had vowed to make Eric pay myself but after watching that fight I knew there was no way I could have beaten him on my own. Quatre did me and my friends a favor, though I was sure Heero would not agree at first. Regardless, I understood completely why Quatre did it, he obviously felt as strongly for Trowa as I did for Jounouchi.

I placed my hand on Quatre’s shoulder and squeezed. He looked at me and smiled only a moment before his face once again turned serious. “I have to get Trowa out of here.” He said “I will get him to safety and come back for you.” 

“Don’t worry about me” I said “I understand, get Trowa out of here.” 

Quatre nodded. “Beside myself, Eric was the second oldest vampire under Ace’s control.” He paused, his gaze uncertain. “While most of his followers are young they are probably all above you in skill. They have had much more exposure to fighting than you…Try to stay hidden, but if you have to fight try to keep it one on one.”

I nodded, meeting Quatre’s eyes with my own. “Why are you doing this? You were Ace’s second in command, why betray him now?”

Quatre looked away from me, ashamed. “I used to be lost…” he began. “I’ve been alive for so long, aimlessly wondering, ruthlessly killing.” He met my gaze again, his face unreadable. “When I met Ace he was practically a newborn. He was a natural leader and already had several other vampires following him when he asked me to join Fang. He had dreams of grandeur. Vampires would control the city from the shadows, and eventually maybe even openly. We would have all we could eat, no rules other than follow Ace’s orders when instructed. At the time the idea seemed interesting and I decided to join. At least it would give me something to do for a while.” 

Quatre shook his head slightly as he remembered before once again looking at Trowa. “It wasn’t long after that that I met Trowa… He was just as lost as I. He taught me how to love and I realized that I had been living very wrong for all the centuries I had been a vampire. Trowa and I were planning on leaving Fang until I met Jounouchi. He was like a lost puppy, abandoned by his father and thrown into this dark world that he didn’t even know existed. We both decided to stay and do what we could for him, with hopes of getting him out safely when we could.”

I nodded, feeling very grateful for Jounouchi having someone like Quatre in his life. “Why didn’t you just leave with him?” I asked “If Eric was the only one even close to your age couldn’t you have just escaped?”

Quatre nodded “Yes I could have escaped, but not without risking Trowa’s life. He is not very old and had very little fighting experience. By the time we met Jounouchi Ace’s forces had increased ten fold. He has over one hundred vampires under his control. Even I would have an extremely hard time taking on that many, let alone Trowa. I have been training him since we decided to stay so he is far stronger now than he was. We were planning on trying to escape within the next couple months.” He shrugged. “But it’s too late for that now.” 

I nodded before pulling Quatre into a quick hug. “Thank you for everything.” I said as I released him. He smiled at me before helping Trowa up off of the ground. His gaze turning serious once again. “Be careful… Ace isn’t a very old vampire but his influence is strong. He has natural talent for fighting and has proved himself numerous times taking down vampires much older than him. He is severely weakened without myself or Eric at his side but he is still very dangerous. Whatever you do, do not engage him on your own.” I nodded, trying to keep the unease from bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” 

I watched silently as Quatre entered the tunnels we had come from with Trowa in tow. 

I turned to face the door to the office, the sounds of distant fighting once again registering in my ears. I would find Jounouchi and get him out safe. I only hoped that Quatre came back quickly. If Ace had all his men out there, one on one combat wasn’t likely to happen.

Without another thought I squared my shoulders before turning the handle and exiting the room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 23

~*~

The second I exited the office I was momentarily relieved as the smell of Eric’s burning corpse vanished from my nostrils. The relief only lasted a mere second before the overwhelming stench of blood replaced the burning of flesh. I followed the smell as I slowly slinked down the hallway toward the large recreation area I had discovered the first time I had entered Fang’s base. As I drew closer the sounds of fighting grew louder and louder, bouncing off the narrow walls of the hallway and continuing down into the darkness behind me. Suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck spring up and the air around me swirl with movement. Instinctively I ducked just as Sai appeared, his katana swinging and slicing into the wall directly behind where my head had been mere seconds before. Sai did not falter or even pause before his blade was swinging down with inhuman speed and deadly precision. I jumped out of the way, his blade missing me by centimeters before turning and ducking once more, the force of his blade blowing through my hair like the wind on a stormy day. 

His attacks were quick and relentless. I could feel sweat beading on my forehead as I used all the speed I could muster to dodge his unyielding attacks. I felt helplessness swell up inside me as the strength seeped out of my body. There was no way I could keep this up forever and I had no weapon to block or return his attacks. All I had was my fists and my speed, which were barely keeping up. I cursed as I felt his blade slice the top of my arm. 

Sai paused, smiling as he swiped his sword in the air, sending the blood that adorned it flying against the wall to his right. I held my arm, panting, as I glared daggers into him. He looked at me amusedly, his breaths even and steady. His long black hair was smooth and unruffled as if he hadn’t just been attacking me repeatedly at inhuman speed.

“I’m impressed” Sai said, his deep tenor not quite fitting to his small stature. “There aren’t very many new vampires that can dodge my attacks.” 

I didn’t bother to give him a response as my mined reeled trying to think of any possible option to get out of this situation. Sai continued to gaze at me, his smile un-nerving, as he gently touched the edge of his blade. “It’s a shame really…” He continued, directing his gaze to his blade and the remnants of my blood upon it. “If only Ace would have you join us instead of killing you, we could have a great asset. Your blood is strong and so is your will. With time your skill could far surpass the majority of the vampires in this gang.”

He looked back at me, his smile twisting into something more vile. “As long as we have your little bitch you are under our control, you are ours. If only Ace would realize that! There are so many more ways he can torture you that way!”

Sai let out a sardonic laugh as I once again felt anger flare up at the mention of Jounouchi. When his laughter died down, he once again gazed upon me and his smile widened even more. “That’s good Seto Kaiba! Let that anger flare! Killing you will be no fun if you give up!”

With that, Sai crouched down into a fighting stance, hovering his blade in front of him at an angle so the tip was facing the opposite wall of the hilt. Without another word he lunged at me, practically disappearing from my sight with his speed. I jumped backward just as he attacked, his sword hitting the floor where I had been moments before. Relentlessly, he swung his blade as I struggled to dodge. I couldn’t keep this up forever… I had to do something. There was no way I could fail here. I had to rescue Jounouchi… 

I would rescue Jounouchi. 

My mind made up, I steeled myself as I continued to dodge his attacks. I let out a growl as I jumped backward from yet another frontal swing. Sai, taking advantage of my slowing speed, thrust his blade forward. A scream of pain escaped my lips as his blade easily pierced my left shoulder, sliding through muscle and bone as if it was a knife through softened butter. Sai let out a maniacal laugh that was cut short when I used my left arm to firmly grab onto his wrist. Then with my right, uninjured arm, I gathered up as much strength as I possibly could. I screamed murderously and swung with all my might, my fist landing with a loud thud into the others face. Sai screamed in pain as I held onto his wrist, preventing the small vampire from flying down the hall with the force of my blow. Without pause I hit him again, and again, and again, screaming out of desperation and pain. The blade in my shoulder was moving and twisting with each attack but I did not let go. I could not let myself be defeated here. 

With as much strength as I could muster I swung one last time, my fist landing squarely into Sai’s gut. He let out a gargled “oof” as I let go of his wrist and let his body fly down the hall and into a wall a few feet back. I dropped to one knee, panting, as I used my good arm to remove the katana that was still stuck in my shoulder. 

Across the hall Sai groaned as he slid to the ground, the wall above him indented from the force of the impact. I cursed inwardly as I forced myself to stand up. It was only a matter of time before Sai recovered and was back up on his feet and I knew there would be no way to defeat him then. I walked toward him, the bloody sword held tightly in my right hand. 

Sai laughed as I approached, turning his bloody face upward to look at me. “Bravo…” He said, the twisted smile once again gracing his lips. I frowned down at him as I pointed the tip of the blade at his throat. “Its over.” I said. “Where is Jounouchi?” He laughed once again and I responded by putting pressure on the blade, drawing blood. Sai laughed again, completely unfazed by the sword on his throat. He then reached up and grabbed the blade with his fist and squeezed tight enough to draw blood in his palm.

“Oh Kaiba…” He said, his voice oozing with humor. “It’s far from over.” 

With that I found myself being slammed into the wall next to me, a large powerful hand grasped tightly around my throat. I let out a chocking sound as I met the eerie blue eyes of Kai, the muscled out blond vampire I had met previously. He had literally busted through the opposite wall as if it was a thin sheet of paper in order to attack me unaware. Sai laughed loudly, his voice echoing down the hall. He still grasped the blade of the sword that I had unknowingly released in the surprise attack. 

“You put up a good fight I will admit!” Sai said jovially. “But now it’s truly over.” 

I gargled, gasping for air as blackness invaded my vision.

No! I thought. This couldn’t be happening! 

But it was. 

I kicked fiercely in desperation, my gaze never leaving Kai’s. He smiled as I struggled, the blows I managed to make nothing more than a pesky fly to the powerful vampire. 

I struggled harder as my vision turned black, the pressure from Kai’s hand steady and unyielding. I was just about to pass out when the sound of a blade slicing through bone and flesh registered in my ears. A moment later the pressure was gone. I fell to the floor coughing and gasping for air as Kai screamed in agony. As the blackness receded my eyes immediately widened as they focused on the severed arm laying directly in front if me. Kai was still screaming, his stump bleeding profusely as his shocked movements sent blood spattering everywhere. Sai was on his feet and crouched down with his blade in front of his face, his dark eyes darting from side to side looking for the attacker. 

“Shut up Kai!” Sai hissed. The blond vampire complied, his screams immediately reducing to a pained whimper. 

With a grunt, I forced myself up and backed away from the two vampires. Neither of them seemed to notice my movement. 

As I backed away a blur streaked by me at impossible speed. Before I could even blink the blur had reached Kai. I watched, stunned, as a flash of steel met the flesh of the blond vampires neck. Kai’s head fell unceremoniously to the ground, blood spurting from both ends. The head rolled a few inches before stopping, Kai’s dead gaze directed toward the ceiling. A mere second later steel clashed with steel and sparks flew as Sai blocked attack after attack from the blur. I watched in amazement as roles were reversed with Sai at the receiving end of an onslaught that he could barely keep up with. 

A cry of pain escaped Sai’s lips as his attacker sliced his right thigh and left arm with one long swing. Sai fell to one knee as the blur momentarily ceased attacks. It was then that I recognized the spikey black hair and short stature of Hiei, Kurama’s partner. I stared in awe as Hiei shook his sword out, much like Sai did to me, to remove the majority of the blood from the blade. While I always sensed Hiei was powerful, I had no clue how skilled he actually was. It was obvious that Sai was nothing more than a pest to the spiky haired vampire. 

“Hiei!” Sai spat as he forced himself to stand back up and raise his sword. “I see you’ve gotten better… How is your red headed bitch doing? Assuming he is still around? A nice piece of ass like that is bound to only keep your attention for so long right?” 

Without a word Hiei swung his blade down and severed Sai’s right arm at the top of the shoulder. It fell to the ground with a sick splat followed by the clattering of steel from the sword he was holding in that arm. Sai screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, his free hand grabbing the nub where his arm used to be connected. Sai’s screaming was quickly silenced as Hiei placed the blade against his throat, just like I had done earlier. 

“Please… Hiei!” Sai cried “We used to be partners!” 

Hiei glared down at him, his fire red eyes frighteningly intense. 

“Where is Jounouchi?” 

“What do care about that stupid human? What happened to you over the years? We were partners… brothers! Don’t forget about that!”

Hiei snorted, pushing the blade into his neck and drawing a stream of blood. 

“We may have been ‘born’ under the same vampire…” Hiei started, his voice cold. “…but we are by no means ‘brothers’. Leaving your pack was the best thing I ever did.”

“But Hiei… What would father think? Please, let me go. You’ll never hear from me again!” 

“I don’t give a rats ass what that monster thinks… If I ever meet him again I will kill him too.”

Sai’s eyes got impossibly wide as Hiei put more pressure on the blade. “Now…” Hiei continued, his eyes deadly. “Ill ask you one more time. Where is Jounouchi?” 

“Why should I tell you anything? You’re just going to kill me anyway.” Sai said, spitting at Hiei’s feet. “Kill me. I’m not talking.” 

“As you wish.” 

With that Hiei remorselessly swiped his sword across Sai’s neck before turning and walking back toward me as the severed head plopped down on the floor to join Kai in gazing at the ceiling. 

I watched silently as Hiei reached me, his eyes darting to my bloody shoulder. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks…” I said laughing slightly before turning my gaze serious. “And for saving my life too…”

Hiei shrugged before turning back toward the two vampires he’d slain. Silently he conjured a flame in his hand before sending toward the two bodies, igniting them on fire. I looked at him, eyes wide. I had no clue vampires were capable of creating fire. Upon seeing my look Hiei signed almost irritably. “Vampires, as magic creatures, are capable of using magic… If you have an affinity for it anyway. Even as a human I had always had a thing for fire.” 

“I see…” I said lamely as Hiei continued down the hall a bit before looking back at me. 

“You coming?” 

I nodded and started to head toward him before remembering that I was weaponless. I stopped and turned around, jogging back to grab Sai’s sword before returning to Hiei’s side. 

“How are we going to find Jounouchi?” I asked.

“Heero is up ahead clearing out the recreation area” Hiei said “We’ve pretty much search everywhere else except for the room next to that area. We think Ace has him in there.”

I nodded. “They took me into that room when I got caught, its Ace’s throne room I think.” 

We continued down the rest of the hallway in silence before entering the large recreation room. Once there I stood, shocked, at the scene before me. Heero was in the middle of the room finishing off a vampire when we arrived. His clothes, face, and body were all blood spattered as he stood in the midst of a sea of vampire bodies. He held a short sword in his left hand and a gun in his right, which he kept pointed at a large group of humans he had huddled in the corner. He looked at us as we entered, his fierce blue eyes more intense than even Hiei’s when in the heat of battle. 

“That was the last of them I think” Heero said, motioning to the vampire he had just slain.

“Good.” Hiei said as Heero nodded to me in greeting. “Duo?” He asked, his eyes scanning the area for any more threats.

“He took an injured woman to the hospital, she had been shot and her leg was infected.” 

He nodded. “Eric?”

I resisted the urge to look away as his cerulean gaze focused intensely on my own.

“I’m sorry Heero… But he’s gone. Killed in battle when he tried to prevent my escape.” 

Heero raised his eyebrow, his eyes cold. Disbelief seeped in his voice as he spoke. “You killed him?”

I shook my head. “No, a friend who helped me escape.” Heero narrowed his eyes but did not comment. Hiei took this as a cue to continue on. 

Together we herded the humans outside before returning to the rec room and standing in front of the large door that lead to Ace’s throne room. We drew our weapons before pushing open the heavy doors and stepping into the large throne room.

Not surprisingly Ace was waiting for us inside. He was sitting casually on his throne, his fleet flung up over the edge of one of the arms. He watched us amusedly and his smile got particularly wider when he noticed the wound on my shoulder. 

“Its about time… I have been waiting for you Seto Kaiba.” He chucked, looking at my companions. “And you too Hiei, Heero.”

“Where is Jounouchi?” I asked, stepping forward.

Ace laughed. “Your not one for patience are you Kaiba? You will see him in due time… But you will have to leave your two friends here.” 

“Like hell!” I said “Your gang has been practically obliterated. Your two strongest members are gone. In case you hadn’t noticed, there isn’t anyone standing up there with you anymore.” 

Ace let out another laugh. “So it seems!” He said, hopping off of his throne. “But, I do have another card up my sleeve…” He looked at each of us as he snapped his fingers, motioning to the twin set of doors that were behind him. Simultaneously they both opened up and from the darkness inside came several masked vampires, each group dragging a bound captive, their heads covered with burlap sacks. I felt deep dread in the pit of my stomach as I watched the two groups drag their burdens over to Ace. I looked to my companions, the dread intensifying as I realized they too knew who was bound underneath those sacks. 

Ace laughed as he looked at our faces, commanding his men to remove the cover from their prisoners heads. My fears were confirmed as the fire red head of Kurama and the long braid of Duo were revealed. Each captive had four men surrounding them. They had both been beaten and shocked by one of their anti-vampire weapons like I had when I first arrived at Fangs base. 

If looks could kill, Ace and his men would be dead one-hundred times over at the intense glares they were receiving from Heero and Hiei. I for certain would not want to be on the receiving end of those stares, especially after I’ve seen how powerful they really are.

I looked at Kurama in shear terror as I realized what him being here really meant…

“Release them now or you die.”

I looked to my right as Hiei crouched down, Heero following suit. Both men had their deadly eyes focused only on Ace. 

“Wait!” I said, taking a step forward and grabbing Ace by the collar of his coat. “What have you done with Mokuba you bastard!” 

“I knew it wouldn’t take you long to figure out I had him” Ace said, smiling. “Don’t worry, he is safe at the moment.”

I hadn’t thought it was even possible to hate Ace more than I had previously, but at those words my vision coated in red. 

“Listen you pompous little bitch, if so much as a hair is out of place on him I will make you regret it with every bone in your body.” 

Ace chuckled. “Sure you will… Now, if you’ll please release me I will take you to him.” 

Begrudgingly I released him, giving him a little shove as I did so. “Where is he?”

“In due time… First we have to ensure your little friends stay here.”

“Gentlemen…” Ace said, motioning to the masked men. “Reassurance if you would please.”

What that each of the vampires holding their captives grabbed onto their hair and exposed their necks. Then another pulled out a Katana which was then poised and ready to decapitate at a moments notice. 

“Hiei, Heero, if you would be so kind as to wait here until my return your partners will not be hurt.” Ace then turned and took a couple steps back toward the two doors before looking back at me. “You coming?”

I looked at Hiei and Heero, who were surprisingly both looking at me with apologetic expressions. I smiled at them, knowing full well that if it was Jounouchi or Mokuba in the enemies grasp I would let them go on alone as well. “Make sure these guys pay for laying their filthy hands on Duo and Kurama…” I said as I walked forward. 

“Don’t die” I heard Heero say as I followed Ace into the door on the right, not in the least bit surprised when it slammed shut behind me. 

We walked silently down a dark hallway before Ace began to speak, smugness imminent in his voice. 

“As soon as your friends attacked” He began “I immediately sent fifty men to your little nest. Leaving your brother alone with only one guard was a grave mistake on your friends part.”

Ace chucked “Surprisingly, only about 10 of my men returned alive… That Kurama is definitely way stronger than he looks.” 

“From the very second you stepped into my home I had wrought my mind to find the perfect way to make you pay for everything you have done to me… Something that ‘holier than thou’ attitude you have couldn’t withstand.”

Barely able to control his excitement Ace looked back at me, his smile twisted and vile. “And now that I have your dear little brother it all fell into place! The perfect plan that will undoubtedly hurt you as much as you have hurt me”

Seething, I kept silent, not acknowledging him with a response. My silence didn’t seem to bother him though as we entered another fairly large room that was completely empty except for a rows of chairs set up along all four walls. I frowned deeply, noticing the dried and fresh blood in the center of the room. This must have been some kind of fighting ring or something, set up where spectators could watch as their entertainment fought to the death.

Ace stopped in the middle of the room before turning to me, holding out his arms, and looking up to the ceiling.

“Now is the time!” He said loudly, laughing, before once again directing his gaze to me. 

“Where is Mokuba?” I asked, ignoring his antics. Ace didn’t falter. “Straight to the point as always! Very well…Bring them out!”

With that, a hidden door on the far back wall cracked open and two more masked vampires came out, each one holding a captive with a burlap sack over their head. I felt my knees weaken and a mix of terror and rage swirl in my gut as I immediately realized who their captives were. Ace smiled brightly, laughing, as he walked over to the nearest wall and sat down on one of the many chairs. 

“No… “ I said deftly before turning and focusing all my rage at Ace. “You will die for this!”

Ace shook his head slightly. “This is how this is going to work Seto Kaiba.” He looked at his men and snapped his fingers. They immediately removed the burlap sacks revealing a very beaten and bloody Jounouchi and a frightened Mokuba. They were both conscious and immediately directed their terrified gazes to me. With barely a pause each vampire then pulled out a gun, released the safety, and pointed it at their captives temple.

“Onii-sama!” Mokuba shouted as he tried to struggle, his vampire captor easily holding him in place. 

“Mokuba” I said softly. “Calm down… It will be okay…”

Ace laughed as I looked at Jounouchi, his honey gaze unreadable. Before I could say anything Ace spoke again. “As I was saying… This is how its going to work. Only one of them is going to walk out of here alive today. On my cue, my men will fire their guns. Now, your fast, but not fast enough to save both of them… You will have to choose.”

I turned to him then, ready to lunge. “You…!”

“Ah ah!” Ace said, waving his palm. “ If you kill me they will both die. What a pity that would be eh?” 

“You son of a bitch!” I spat, my entire body shaking from fury. How could he expect me to decide between the two people I loved the most? 

Ace looked at me smoothly, completely immune to my fury. “You don’t have much time Kaiba… You better decide quick.”

I turned back toward Mokuba. His eyes were wide and frightened beyond belief as tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was still struggling but his captor had a hand over his mouth so he could not speak. 

How could this be happening? How could I possibly choose? I shook my head violently, willing the tears that were bursting through away. 

No matter what I had to save my brother… Mokuba, who I had sworn to protect with my own life the moment he was born. But… that meant…Jounouchi…

I looked over to the blond man, surprised to find his intense gaze focused on me. He was smiling softly, tears glistening down his bruised cheeks. He did not struggle.

“No…” I said, my voice cracking. His expression spoke volumes, more than words could ever even say. He knew that I had to choose my brother and he accepted his fate. He was sorry for everything that happened, he never wanted to hurt me. Most of all, however, I could see love. He loved me and he would die for me... He wouldn’t fight; Mokuba would be saved. “No!” I practically screamed. 

“Time is just about up Kaiba… Have you decided?” 

“You will pay for this.” I said with as much venom as I possibly could. Ace chuckled again as I braced myself. My left shoulder was useless but I did still have Sai’s sword. I thought for a moment before I placed the sword into the hand of my injured arm. Maybe I couldn’t save them both but I could sure as hell try…

It all happened in an instant, yet I could see it clearly as if it were in slow motion. Without waiting for Ace’s cue I burst ahead at full speed with all the strength I could muster. I reached the vampire who held Mokuba in a second flat. He was still recovering from my sudden movement as I plowed into him with my bad shoulder, being careful the blade did not hit Mokuba. The force of the impact loosened his grip just enough for me to use my good arm to remove Mokuba from his clasp before he went flying into the farthest wall with a loud crash. Without pausing, I dropped Mokuba to the ground and switched the sword to my right hand. I threw the sword as quickly as I could, the blade easily piercing the other vampires neck, jarring the arm that was holding the gun, just as he fired. Both the vampire and Jounouchi fell to the ground with a sickening thud. 

~*~


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba POV

~*~

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 24

~*~

“No!” I yelled, rushing to the fallen blond. When I reached him I pushed away the vampire, not bothering to remove the sword from his neck. Gently, I pulled Jounouchi into my arms, noticing in horror that the bullet had went right through his chest. 

“Jounouchi…” I said weakly just as the hidden door behind me burst open again and a good twenty more vampires entered the room. Not a second later the door I had originally came through opened with a crack followed by Hiei, Heero, Duo, Kurama, and to my surprise, Sasuke and Naruto who were wearing the ninja vampire uniforms I had seen in the other room. A battle around me ensued as a soft hand on my cheek brought my attention down to the blond man in my arms.

“Seto…” He said weakly, the sound of my first name on his lips foreign and strange. “Please…call me Katsuya…”

I placed my hand over his, which was still resting on my cheek. “Katsuya… Please don’t speak, let me get you to a hospital.” 

He shook his head weakly, his amber eyes locked into mine. “It’s too late for that…” 

“No! It’s not!” I said sternly, removing my hand from his and running it up through his temple and into his hair. He chuckled slightly, wincing in pain as he did. “Just… listen to me… please.” 

I remained silent as he took a couple of pained breaths before continuing. 

“About you being a vampire… I never got to talk to you about it…”

“Katsuya…” I interrupted “We can talk about this later.”

“No, there wont be a later Seto… listen. I just wanted to tell you that I don’t care. I know your not the same as they are. Seto…” He paused, fruitlessly trying to fight the tears that were streaming down his face. Silently he intertwined our fingers, a small smile adorning his delicate bruised lips.

“I love you… I always have, since the first day I saw you…”

“Katsuya…” 

“I’m not done… When you told me you loved me I could hardly believe it. It was a dream come true, vampire or not. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry… For dragging you into this. For running back to Fang instead of trusting you to protect me… If I wouldn’t of left then none of this would of happened…”

“This is not your fault!” I said, interrupting him. “You didn’t know I was a vampire or that I had strong allies. Look, enough talking. Let me get you to a hospital.” 

Jounouchi smiled, releasing my hand to once again touch my cheek. 

“I told you… It’s too late.” He coughed, nearly chocking on the blood that came up from his throat. “Katsuya!” I said, alarmed. 

He looked at me, tears flowing anew. “I’m glad I got to be close to you Seto… Even if it was only for a little bit. Thank you… For everything.” 

“Katsuya!” I nearly shouted as his hand dropped limply to the ground. “Katsuya!” 

Slowly his eyes closed and his head lilted to the side. “No…” I said weakly, holding his now limp body close in an embrace, not even bothering to fight the tears flooding down my cheeks.

I stayed like that, hugging his body close, for what seemed like an eternity before Mokuba’s call of alarm broke me out of my trance. I was abruptly pulled into the battle that surrounded me, immediately noticing Mokuba’s panicked look in my direction.

“Onii-sama! Look out!”

I looked to my left mere seconds before Ace fiercely swung his katana down upon me. Mokuba’s shrill scream echoed in my ears as I covered Jounouchi’s body and braced myself for the impact of the blade. The hit never came. Instead, the loud clang of steel on steel brought my focus back up to my attacker. To my surprise I found Quatre standing in between Ace and myself, his short daggers expertly stopping the Katana in its tracks. 

Ace was obviously more surprised than I. His eyes were wide in disbelief as he slowly pulled his blade away from Quatre’s daggers. “Quatre! What do you think you are doing?! You dare to betray _me?_ ” 

Quatre stood up straight, facing Ace fully, his cerulean eyes cold and emotionless.

“You are truly a fool if you think you can control me Ace. I was done with you and your gang years ago.”

Ace took a cautious step backward, his voice full of disbelief. “What… You… You can’t just leave Fang! It doesn’t work that way!” 

“Look around you. Its over.”

And it was. All around us there were bodies of Fang vampires. Hiei and Sasuke were finishing up the few stragglers while Duo, Kurama, Naruto and Heero stood off to the side, watching both Ace and Quatre with suspicion. 

“I will not rest until Seto Kaiba is gone from this earth!” Ace shouted, taking another step backward. Quatre sighed heavily as Ace slowly inched himself toward his hidden door. 

Quatre took a step toward him, his voice cool and steady. “You know I cant let you walk out of here Ace. You have caused too much suffering to the people I care about. I will not let you have the chance to regroup and come after us again.” 

Without warning Ace bolted for the hidden door, his body turning into a mere blur. He was stopped mere inches from the door as Quatre appeared in front of him, daggers swinging. 

Ace’s scream of fury turned into a inaudible gurgle as his head was expertly removed from his body. Quatre looked coldly at Ace’s remains for only a moment before returning his attention to me.

“I’m so sorry Kaiba…” He said as he reached me. “I tried to get here sooner.” The rest of the gang approached as well, looking forlornly at Jounouchi’s unmoving form. Mokuba came up behind me and gently placed his hand on my shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. 

Quatre kneeled down and gently touched the pulse point on Jounouchi’s neck, his eyes widening in surprise.

“He is still alive…His pulse is very weak but its still there…” 

I looked down at the man I loved and fruitlessly tried to fight the impending tears. 

“He is dying…” I said weakly. “At this point there is nothing I can do.” 

Quatre shook his head sadly. “There is one thing…”

I looked to Quatre sharply, immediately realizing what he was implying. 

“Your saying that I change him into one of us? How can I possibly make such a selfish decision? After all he has been through I’m sure the last thing he wants is to become a monster like us.”

“We are not monsters Kaiba…” Kurama said softly. 

“Its true Onii-sama!” Mokuba agreed. “I know your not a monster! Neither is Duo, or Heero, or any of the people here!” 

I shook my head, returning my gaze to Jounouchi. 

“I probably know Jounouchi better than anyone here…” Quatre began. “From the very first moment he came here and befriended me, he has talked about you. His deepest wish was to be apart of your life.”

Quatre looked back down at the blond in my arms. “It’s your decision, but you must act quickly.” 

What an impossible decision… I wanted nothing more than to keep Jounouchi in my life… But how could I condemn him to the darkness? How would he feel being alive but no longer being able to see the sun?

As if reading my mind Duo stepped forward and kneeled down next to us. “He wont miss the sun Seto... because you are his sun. At least that’s how I feel about Heero… and seeing the way Jounouchi feels for you I doubt he feels any different.”

“… and if you want” Duo continued, placing his hand on my uninjured shoulder “I will change him for you.” 

I shook my head. If anyone was going to change him it had to be me… But could I do it?

I smiled sadly as I ran my hand through Jounouchi’s golden hair. Who was I trying to kid. A life without Jounouchi was hardly a life at all. I was undoubtedly selfish. I could do it… and I would. 

“Walk me through it…” I said to Duo, meeting his violet gaze. He nodded, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. 

“Kurama” he said. “Take Mokuba home. I’ll help Seto through this and then well have to burn this building down.”

~*~

Mokuba’s high pitched laughter broke me out of my trance as I blankly stared at my laptop computer screen. I was making little progress on the months of backed up work that had accumulated over the 5 days that Fang had kept me prisoner in their base. I sighed as I leaned back in my comfortable leather chair and gently stretched my nearly healed shoulder.

It had been three days since the attack on Fang’s base. Mokuba was down stairs playing video games with Duo and his laughter easily carried through the mansion and into my office. The past three days flew by in a blur. The morning after, the news and the city were buzzing about the old grain warehouse burning down to the ground. The police were especially concerned at the large amount of unidentifiable remains that were found on the premises. The investigation was still ongoing but I knew they wouldn’t find anything. Word on the street of Fang’s demise was rapidly spreading as the humans we had released ran around telling the story to anyone who would listen. I wasn’t long before stories of a blue eyed devil taking out a hundred men at a time was spread around the city, ensuring people locked their windows at night.

Speaking of Heero… After we had taken care of business at Fang’s base he had confronted Quatre about killing Eric. It was obvious that he was the ‘friend’ that helped me escape when he was so familiar with me after he took out Ace. I shook my head slightly as I remembered the scene. 

We were watching the base burn down as Sasuke and Naruto explained how they had posed as Ace’s men and helped Heero and Hiei rescue their partners. When they were done talking, Heero abruptly pulled out his gun and pointed it at Quatre. I started to tell him to put his weapon away and that it would be absolutely useless on the blond haired vampire when Quatre silenced me with his calm voice.

“It’s okay Kaiba.” He then looked at Heero, putting his hands up in the air in surrender. “I understand that Eric created you…” he began, his blue eyes gentle. “But even you have eyes. I know you’ve been thinking something was off with Eric for a long time now. I know you would never betray him… and undoubtedly you never even told your comrades that you knew he was apart of Fang. In fact, I’m sure you tried to dissuade everyone from even coming since you knew Eric was there and how powerful he was.” Heero did not look away from Quatre, even as the rest of us looked at him, surprise evident on our faces. 

“I’ve seen you myself when you’ve come to see him…” Quatre continued. “You were suspicious, even if you didn’t fully realize it.” Quatre walked forward then, not stopping until the tip of Heero’s gun was connected with his chest. “You can shoot me if you want… but Eric was not a good man. He was using you and you friends and he was hurting people and vampires alike. He would never stop. Even if I had let him go he would eventually come back, putting you and your friends in danger. I am sorry… really… But it had to be done.” 

Heero was silent for a moment before pulling his gun down and turning away from Quatre. A few moments later he disappeared into the night. I did not see him again until yesterday evening. Everyone was already over and we were all sitting in one of the large family rooms watching Mokuba’s and Naruto play a racing game. Quatre, who had been staying with me since the incident at Fang, was sitting on a couch next to Trowa, who was quickly recovering from his in juries. Quatre noticed Heero’s presence well before the rest of us, standing up seconds before Heero appeared before him. Their cerulean gazes locked heatedly for a moment before Heero held his hand out. Quatre smiled as he returned the favor, the two clasping hands and shaking firmly. 

“I understand what you did…” Heero started “And you were right. Duo and my friends have always been there for me. I have never once doubted any of them. They are what matter most to me.” 

All eyes were focused on the pair, eyes wide in shock. Heero was never this wordy… Or emotionally open. Heero then looked over to Duo, who was smiling broadly, his love for Heero radiating out from him like a brilliant sunny day. Heero sighed slightly before looking back at Quatre. “It seems like you and your mate aren’t going anywhere… so…” He looked at Duo again, obviously uncomfortable. Duo nodded at him reassuringly.

“…Welcome to the family.”

Quatre smiled brightly but didn’t even have a chance to get in a word in before Heero was gone. Quatre laughed. “I guess that went well?” 

Duo smiled brightly, standing up to clasp Quatre on the shoulder. “It did! Heero is just not good with being too emotional.” 

I smiled to myself, remembering the moment. Quatre and Trowa were apart of my family now and I found myself undeniably happy about it. 

The following day I had went to the hospital to visit Clara. Was doing better than expected. The doctor I had talked to was very surprised at how well she was doing since the infection had spread through most of her leg. I didn’t stay very long since she was pretty drugged up, but I was very glad she was okay. I told her I would visit again and that she would be welcome to come visit me any time. 

I sighed heavily as my mind drifted back to the blond man that seemed to be in my thoughts nearly every second of every day. 

Jounouchi…

He has not woken up since he fell unconscious at Fang’s base. Duo told me that the transformation had worked, but his in juries were severe and his body was in a state of deep sleep in order to recover. Just like I had when I first found Jounouchi on the street, I spent most of my time next to his bedside, watching… waiting. 

True to Duo’s word, he was healing. Almost all of his bruises were gone and his face was once again delicate and smooth. While I was anxious to see him awaken I was also dreading it. What would he say? How was he going to feel when he wake up to discover he was no longer human? Will he hate me? 

I shook my head at the thought. My heart could not bear Jounouchi hating me… Though he has every right to do so. I had made an utterly shellfish decision in transforming him, despite what the others say. Just as my choice had been taken from me I had taken it from him… There was a very real chance he would rather have died than become one of the monsters that have tormented for the years he was with Fang.

A soft knock on my door brought my attention out of my inner reverie. I didn’t even have a chance to say ‘come in’ before the door was opening and an anxious looking Duo stepped into the room. The expression on his face told me there was no more time to mull over Jounouchi’s possible reaction…

“He’s awake.” I stated softly. 

Duo nodded. “I just had a feeling so I decided to check on him… I told him I would get him some blood but he asked me to have you bring it…” 

My belly swirled with unease. The thought of facing Jounouchi and getting his reaction from what I’d done to him was almost sickening. “How did he seem?” I asked.

Duo shrugged. “A bit out of it… Quiet. I couldn’t really tell how he felt.”

I nodded, sighing heavily as I pushed myself up out of my chair. It was now or never.

I clasped Duo on the shoulder as I walked out of the room and down stairs. I went out into one of our garages and into a refrigerator I had put there to house my particular diet needs. We had spent a bit of time collecting blood from our various animal kills in preparation for Jounouchi’s awakening. The fridge held several large Mason jars full and we had more in the freezer. I grabbed one and headed back inside and up to the room Jounouchi was in. I paused a few seconds outside the door before I squared my shoulders and knocked. 

He beckoned me in a few seconds later and I braced myself as I opened the door and went inside.

He was standing at the window, bare chested, gazing out into the night from the parted black curtains. He didn’t turn to look at me as I stepped into the room. I stopped several feet before I reached him, unsure of what to say or how to begin. The silence lasted a few more seconds before he spoke, not turning away from the window. 

“I was dead…” He started as I felt my stomach twist and turn. This was the exact the way I had dreaded this conversation would go. “I had accepted my fate. I was content with dying right there in your arms…”

He turned to face me now, his honey eyes serious.

“Imagine my surprise when I wake up a vampire… You took that death away from me. Why?” 

I looked at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

I was ashamed. The decision I had made was absolutely selfish and now Jounouchi would be the one to suffer from it. The only thing I could do now was be completely honest with him…

“I’m so sorry Jounouchi… I know the decision to turn you was selfish… but I…I couldn’t bare the thought of my life without you in it. Jou-Katsyua…Even before all this happened I’ve had feelings for you… Even though I didn’t want to admit it. Every time I was around you I felt invigorated. Even when we fought I felt lighter…Happier.”

I paused, running my hand through my hair. “When I did finally accept my feelings for you it was like I had been locked in a dark room my entire life and the door was just opened. Being able to be around you, to touch you… There aren’t any words to explain how good I felt…” 

I took a deep breath, still not meeting his gaze. “When I was turned into a vampire, my last thought as a human was that I wouldn’t be able to see the sun again. I was sad, not because I wouldn’t see the sun, but because I wouldn’t get to see you in it… I would never again get to see how beautiful you look with the sun gleaming in your hair… And this whole time, I’ve never once missed the sun itself… because you are my sun Katsuya… Without you in my life I have no light. That is why I changed you…because I am a selfish man and could not bear an eternity in darkness.”

I looked him then, surprised to find his Amber eyes brimming with emotion. Without a word he walked over to me and removed the jar of blood from my hands. With a quick twist the lid was off and he had the jar to his lips, gulping down the contents without reserve. I watched silently as he finished before walking to the nearest night stand and placing the empty container down. When he turned back to face me his brimming eyes were full fledged tears streaming down his cheeks. I almost crumpled to the ground, the graveness of my mistake hitting me like a ton of bricks.

“I am so so sorry Katsuya…” I said, covering my eyes with my hands. The next thing I knew Jounouchi was there gently removing my hands from my face. He cupped my chin, forcing my gaze to him, his tear streaked face flowing with emotion. “I forgive you…” he said softly as his lips connected with mine. My eyes immediately closed at the sensation as I poured all of my emotion into the kiss. “Katsuya…” I said once our lips had parted. I was quickly silenced with a finger to the lips. 

“I forgive you Seto… Because I too am a selfish man. I don’t care that you turned me into a vampire. I don’t care that I never get to see the sun again or that my old life as I know it is forever changed. I want to be with you… More than anything else.” 

I looked at him, elated beyond believe but still uncertain since the conversation started on such a bad note. He laughed, once again cupping my face and adorning my lips with another exquisite kiss.

“I was only kidding earlier…” He began after we parted again. “Duo told me you were really beating yourself up about changing me so I decided to play along.” 

He laughed even harder at my deadpan expression as he wrapped his arms around my neck and brought his body close. “I’m sure you’ll forgive him…” He said lightly as I returned the embrace. I laughed, wholeheartedly, as I picked him up an spun around in a circle. “On no… He will pay.” I said, letting him slide back down my body until our faces were mere inches apart. 

“I love you Katsuya Jounouchi…”

He smiled, running his fingers through my hair.

“I love you too Seto Kaiba.” 

With that I took his lips once more, holding him as tightly as I could. “You know I am never letting you go…” I said breathlessly as I once again picked him up and carried him to the bed. He laughed, intertwining our legs as I set him down and positioned myself on top of him. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

~*~


End file.
